140 - 1603 HAND-COLORED ENGRAVING, ROBERTO SANSEVERINO D'ARAGONA, COUNT OF CAIAZZO, ARMAMENTARIUM HEROICUM

1603 HAND-COLORED ENGRAVING, ROBERTO SANSEVERINO D'ARAGONA, COUNT OF CAIAZZO, ARMAMENTARIUM HEROICUM A 1603 engraving from the 'Armamentarium Heroicum' depicting the person and armor of Roberto Sanseverino d'Aragona (1418-1487), Count of Colorno and Caiazzo, one of the most famous of the Renaissance Italian Condottieri. He began his career in the service of Francesco Sforza, the condottiere Duke of Milan, and eventually began leading his own band of mercenaries, finally dying in the battle of Calliano in a brave last stand against the Germans. The Armamentarium Heroicum is a large collection of engravings commissioned by Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria (1529-1595) to catalogue and display the large array of historical arms and armor which he had collected at Ambras Castle at Innsbruck, Austria. His secretary, the historian Jakob Schrenck von Notzing (1539-1612) wrote the biographies which appear on the verso of each page, while the engraving and printing was carried out by the Flemish artist Dominicus Custos (1560–1612) after designs by the Italian artist Giovanni Battista Fontana (1524-1587). The first Latin edition was completed and published in 1601, whilst the first German edition, of which this is an example, was published in 1603. Many of the armors in this collection can still be viewed in Austria today, though many have been moved from Ambras Castle to the Imperial Armoury of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. First German Edition, Innsbruck, Austria, 1603. Dimensions: 18 3/8 x 13 1/4 in., (46.7 x 33.7 cm.) Condition: Very good condition with only minor foxing in places, consistent with age. Please make all inquiries before bidding. All statements contained in the catalog, condition reports, invoices, advertisements, or elsewhere concerning the authorship, attribution, origin, date, age, period, culture, source, provenance, authenticity, genuineness, condition, rarity, importance, or value of any lot are statements of opinion only and shall not be construed as representations, warranties, or statements of fact. All lots are sold "as-is", refer to our T&C. Helios Auctions does not offer in-house shipping. We will provide a list of recommended shippers upon request.