5108 - Dyck, Anthony van

Dyck, Anthony van and various engravers. *Icones Principum Virorum Doctorum Pictorum* [...]. 99 (of 104) copperplate engravings, some with etching. 4to. All bound in a contemporary leather binding with marbled covers and a richly decorated, gold-embossed spine label (slightly rubbed and bumped). Gillis Hendricx, 1645, Turner (New Hollstein, Van Dyck) 1 IV-V, 2-3, 5, 7, 10-38, 40-104. Mark: Nine-segmented bell cap, coat of arms with a post horn, crowned coat of arms with a quadruped, letters CC. Following the success of his portrait paintings in the tradition of Italian and Flemish series, Van Dyck decided to create a printed edition featuring portraits of the most prominent figures of his time, divided into three categories: princes, politicians, and soldiers; statesmen and scholars; and artists and art connoisseurs. Van Dyck himself engraved only a few plates, while he commissioned renowned engravers such as Lucas Vorsterman, Paulus Pontius, Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert, and Pieter de Jode to create the others. Van Dyck must have worked on the project in the 1630s until his death in 1641 in collaboration with the publisher Maarten van Enden, with the prints appearing at regular intervals—possibly already as a set of eighty prints. At the latest, however, after the plates passed into the possession of the publisher Gillis Hendricx, the prints began to appear as an edition starting in 1645. Hendricx successfully continued the project and also commissioned additional plates. Thus, the number of prints rose to 104 during his time (according to New Hollstein’s count). Later publishers of the 17th and 18th centuries also expanded the series with numerous portraits, bringing the total number of sheets included in the *Icones* to 178—though there have been recurring discussions among scholars regarding the number of plates and the period of their creation (New Hollstein, Introduction, pp. xxxii–xxxiv). Presented here is the nearly complete series from the edition by publisher Gillis Hendricx: engraved by Anthony van Dyck (14 sheets), Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert (8 sheets), Willem Jacobsz. Delff (1 sheet), Cornelis Galle the Elder (1 sheet), Willem Hondius (2 sheets), Pieter de Jode the Elder or the Younger (12 sheets), Nicolaas Lauwers (1 sheet), Jacob Neeffs (2 sheets), Paulus Pontius (30 sheets), Robert van Voerst (4 sheets), and Lucas Vorsterman the Elder (24 sheets). Excellent to magnificent prints, some with a slight plate tone, faint smudges and still-visible guide lines, with margins. Smoothed horizontal crease on the reverse, some delicate dry creases, occasional faint pressure marks from printing, traces of red-edging; mostly only minimally dusty and with fingerprints, occasional water stains at the bottom and on the right, along with faint foxing spots; the first sheets show slightly more foxing in the white margins and minor edge wear; H. 64 has the lower right corner tip restored; other minor handling marks; otherwise in very fine condition. Very rare in this uniform, nearly complete set. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog.