Historico-philosophica descriptio picturae novae bibliothecae fornici inductae in Canonia Strahoviensi Canonicorum Praemonstratensium Pragae in Monte Sion ab Antonio Maulbertsch, Academiae Artium Vindobonensis et Berolinensis sodali, cura et impendiis Wenceslai Josephi Mayer, abbatis Sionei et Milovicensis, Regii Eleemosynarii, Et Inclyti Regni Bohemiae Praelati by Maulbertsch, Franz Anton, 1724-1796

Prague: Typis Viduae Elsenwanger, Factore Antonio Petzold, 1797. Quarto (26 × 20.5 cm). Contemporary silk binding with silver-embossed decorative borders; all edges gilt; [7], 54 pp. With an engraved dedication leaf to Emperor Francis II, one small vignette, and frontis showing a detailed view of the library. Very good, printed on thick laid paper; binding very lightly soiled and rubbed at extremities; small ink number to title; a few final pages with small brown stain. First and only edition of Maulbertsch's account of painting the elaborate and stunning frescos in the Strahov Monastery Library in Prague, part of the Clementinum building complex and widely considered one of the most beautiful libraries in the world. Maulbertsch (1724-1796) is considered one of the most important Austrian painters of late Baroque period, active throughout Central Europe. His allegorical frescos for the Strahov Library were created in 1794. A German edition of his account appeared in the same year, under the title "Beschreibung der am Platfond des Bibliothekgebäudes der k. Prämonstratenser-Kanonie zu Prag im Jahre 1794 in Fresko dargestellten Kalkmalerei." KVK, OCLC show seven copies in North America.