AFBEELDINGEN DER MERKWAARDIGSTE GESCHIEDENISSEN VAN HET OUDE EN NIEUWE TESTAMENTI [IMAGES OF THE MOST REMARKABLE STORIES OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT]

Amsterdam: H. Keyzer, H. Gartman en W. Vermandel, 1790. 555 x 345 mm. (21 7/8 x 13 3/4"). 2 p.l., 62 folding plates.
Attractive late 19th or early 20th century retrospective polished brown calf by L. Guétant (stamp-signed in gilt on tail of spine), double gilt-ruled border, floral cornerpieces, raised bands, spine panels with scrolling floral borders and central flower ornament, gilt titling. With title vignette and 62 ENGRAVED FOLDING PLATES, ALL WITH BEAUTIFUL HAND COLORING AND HIGHLIGHTED WITH GOLD, depicting Bible scenes from the Old and New Testament, 61 of which are by Jan Luyken. A Large Paper Copy. For earlier editions: Graesse IV, p. 308; Brunet III, 1245-46; Klaversma & Hannema 159-164. ◆Light rubbing to joints and edges, boards just a little marked, trivial foxing and faint spots here and there, but A REMARKABLY FINE COPY, the binding lustrous and showing little wear, the paper extremely bright and fresh, the margins immense, and the paint and gold unusually vibrant.

The marvelous illustrations of Dutch engraver and poet Jan Luyken comprise this collection of "remarkable stories" from the Bible, each depicted with panoramic grandeur and enhanced with a wide range of finely applied colors and gold. Luyken (1649-1712) had written and illustrated erotic poetry as a young man, but later became a devout Pietist after reading the works of German mystic Jakob Böhme. He became a member of the Baptist Church in 1673, and thereafter devoted his talents to producing religious works. The vast scenes here are notable in their scale, detail, and animation. There are a number of battle scenes from the Old Testament, as well as dramatic depictions of the plagues, and a fascinating episode from the histories of Josephus, depicting Herod's soldiers being lowered down the side of a cliff in large boxes suspended from chains, in order to attack the thieves hiding in caverns on the cliffside. There is a majestic portrayal of the Queen of Sheba arriving at the court of Solomon, a peaceful scene of Adam naming the beasts in the Garden of Eden, and a festive celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles. New Testament scenes include a terrifying final judgment, a blinding conversion of St. Paul, and scenes from that Apostle's travels. The engravings have one common trait: they are heavily populated, whether by men or beasts, and one of Luyken's special gifts is to render every person in the crowd as an individual with his own concerns and reactions to the events at hand. The engravings, while already greatly pleasing in black and white, are even more stirring and memorable when seen in the full color and gold used here. Expansive tableaus are given greater definition and clarity, and events such as Noah's flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah are rendered even more successful in expressing the awesome powers of the Almighty. The illustrations are quite definitely Protestant in point of view: there are no depictions of the Virgin Mary, not even a Nativity scene. Except for engravings of the Annunciation to the Shepherds and the Massacre of the Holy Innocents, the illustrations focus on Jesus as an adult and on the work of his Apostles spreading the gospel. There were earlier editions containing Luyken's 62 large plates, which originally appeared (without text, as here) in 1708, and they appeared again with a text in Dutch in 1729, and in French in 1732. Copies of these editions appear with some regularity in the marketplace, but are usually not colored and are often found incomplete or with other major condition issues. We can trace no record in RBH or OCLC of a copy of our 1790 edition, and we can find nothing that compares with the quality of coloring and grand height attained by the monumental margins seen here..