BLOEMAERT, Abraham

BLOEMAERT, Abraham
t Eerste -(Sevende) Deel van de Teeken-Konst
Amsterdam
Joachim Ottens
1770]
Untrimmed copy of the rare first Ottens edition of Bloemaert's classic engraved drawing book, first published by the artist himself ca. 1650 as Artis Apellae liber with only 100 or 120 plates. The first two parts show mostly detail drawings of heads, hands, arms, feet, legs etc. in a wide variety of positions and covering males and females of all ages. Part 3 and 4 show mostly full figures, both nude and in a variety of clothing, while part 5 and 6 mix more heads, figures and completed scenes. part 7 adds animals and more heads. There is no text, but the drawings were intended as models for students or apprentices in art or engraving. The present copy is complete as issued, and matches the makeup of that at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, but some copies include an eighth part, perhaps added later
In-f°, 7 parts in 1 volume, with 140 numbered engraved leaves, including 7 that serve as part-titles, namely the portrait of the artist, 2 drawing examples, 2 rondels, a cartouche and a coat of arms. Late eighteenth-century half red roan, red past-paper sides, some restorations at upper and lower part of the spine. Untrimmed with a water stain in the last 4 plates slightly affecting the image, marginal stains in the first plate, and an occasional minor spot or smudge