Nicolaus Visscher AFBEELDINGEN DER VOORNAAMSTE HISTORIEN, SOO VAN HET OUDE ALS NIEUWE TESTAMENT c1640 Sacred Histories Old & New Testaments Scarce Antique Red Leather Copperplate Engravings Vignettes Text French German Dutch English Latin Illustrated Bible Stories Christian Old & New Testament

Title: Afbeeldingen der voornaamste Historien, soo van het Oude als Nieuwe Testament
Author: Nicolaus Visscher - Nicolaes Visscher I of Amsterdam was a Dutch engraver, cartographer and publisher. He was the son of Claes Janszoon Visscher. His son, Nicolaes Visscher II (1649–1702), also worked with him and continued the family tradition of mapmaking after his death. Visscher died in Amsterdam in 1679 and was buried in the Nieuwezijds Kapel on 11 September of that year, though a death year of 1709 is maintained by some sources.

His engraved double hemisphere map, Orbis Terrarum Nova et Accuratissima Tabula, was created in 1658 in Amsterdam. It also contains smaller northern and southern polar projections. The border is decorated with mythological scenes, one in each corner, drawn by the painter Nicolaes Berchem, showing Zeus, Neptune, Persephone and Demeter. It is an early example of highly decorated Dutch world maps.
Publisher: Nicolaus Visscher
City: Amsterdam
Year: c1640
Binding Style: Hardcover
Pagination: 85 pages, plus a preface in 4 languages.
Width: 8.75" Height: 13.5"
Book Details: This extremely scarce antique volume is bound in half red leather with gilt lettering and raised bands.

This lavishly illustrated work, a teaching text on the Old and New Testaments of the Christian Bible, features a copperplate engraving at the head of each leaf. The approx. 278 in-text plates plus engraved title pages, are accompanied with text in five languages: Latin, French, Dutch, German and English. The English language translation of the title is "The Sacred Histories of the Old and New Testament represented by very artificial figurs."

A bookplate on the front paste-down is printed with Mrs. John V. L. Pruyn. This is Anna Fenn Parker (March 26, 1840 – October 7, 1909), the second wife of John Van Schaick Lansing Pruyn (June 22, 1811 – November 21, 1877), a United States Representative from New York during the latter half of the American Civil War and the early days of Reconstruction. He was of Dutch descent, with Van Schaick, Lansing and Pruyn all being prominent Dutch family names in the Hudson Valley. His signature is found in pencil, with Albany, on the second front end-paper.

Condition / Notes: This handsome antique volume shows well bound in half red leather with gilt lettering and raised bands. The remnants of red leather corners are evident on both boards.

This scarce book show relatively moderate age/wear externally concentrated at the extremities, including cracking and loss of leather on the spine. The binding is secure and cracked in several places. The text and plates are bright and clean and there is scattered foxing throughout.

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