October 2, 2010
A MAGNIFICENT AND VERY RARE ILLUSTRATED RENAISSANCE BOOK OF THE PRINCES OF TYROL
PRINTED 1599: FOLIO. SPLENDID ENGRAVINGS.
[ Custos, Dominicus][Henning, Marcu] Tirolensvum Principum Comitvm : Der Gefürsten Grafen zu Tyrol ; Von Anno 1229 biß Anno 1600 ; Eigentliche Contrafacturen ; Sampt Historischer Beschreibung, auß hieuor außgangnem Latein, durch dessen Autorn verteutscht ; Gedruckt zu Augsburg in verlegung Dominici Custodis. Augspurg : Custos, 1599. [74] p. illus., ports. 30 cm. 32 engr. incl. title. COMPLETE COPY.. Engraved t.p., with old marginal repair, some staining as depicted, small marginal tears and some wormhole to last three leaves, later endpapers, full vellum. VERY RARE; only in incomplete copy without the colophon leaf has appeared in 30 years of the American Bool Prices Auction Records.
These magnificent engravings are after the paintings in the The Spanish Hall at Schloss Ambras, one of the most important freestanding halls of the Renaissance with full-length portraits of the princely rulers of the Tyrol. I have attached a photo at the end from Wikipedia which depicts the famous Hall.
“Dominicus Custos (1560 Antwerp – 1612 Augsburg), was a Flemish artist, printer and copperplate engraver, who worked in the service of Emperor Rudolph II in Prague… Custos and the humanist Marcus Henning collaborated in producing the work “Tirolensium principum comitum” which appeared in 1599 and depicted 28 Counts of Tyrol from Albert IV (1190-1253) to Rudolf II (1552-1612). Custos was responsible for the engravings while Henning took care of the text and eulogies.” [Wikipedia]
