Cornelis de Bie. Het Gulden Cabinet vande Edel Vry Schilder-Const. — Antwerp: Jan Meyssens, 1661 [colophon: Antwerp: Juliaen van Montfort, 1662]

Physical description:
Quarto, 240 × 195 × 45 mm. Contemporary Dutch parchment over pasteboards, blind-tooled with a double panel design, central mandorla-like ornament with floral motif, and corner tools. Spine with raised bands, ink-lettered title CABINET DER SCHILDERS door C. DE BIE. 1661.; later paper shelf-label at foot. Edges plain.

Ex libris Frederik Verachter (Dutch, 1797–1870), archivist of the Antwerp city library, with pages of notes in his hand, signature to title, and an inserted leaf with extra biographical information about one of the 280 artists profiled and illustrated in this volume. Ex libris Gustave Van Havre (Dutch, 1817–1892), historian and bibliophile, with his armorial bookplate on front pastedown.

Added portrait of Cornelis de Bie, dated 1708, mounted and inserted*, illustrated with 97 full-page engravings of artists, and one engraving of the personification of the city of Rome, repeated five times.

Inserted portrait inscription:
“CORNELIUS DE BIE. ÆT. 81. 1708. | Dat Ick op D’aard Niet Anders Ben | Als Stof En Assen Ick Beken: | En Alle Mijnen Arrebeijd | Noch Van Veel Minder Weerdigheijt.” || (J. C. de Cock delin.; H. F. diamaer sculpsit Antv:)

Engraved title-page:

In an oval cartouche at the centre, flanked by female personifications of Painting and Poetry, surmounted by an eagle, Mars and Envy chained by Cupid below: HET GULDEN CABINET | VANDE EDEL VRY SCHILDER, CONST | INHOUDENDE | DEN LOF VANDE VERMARSTE | SCHILDERS, | ARCHITECTE, BELDTHOWERS | ENDE PLAETSNYDERS | VAN DESE EEVW | DOOR | CORN: DE BIE NOTS. | TOT | LIER | 1661. ||

In lower margin below the image frame: t’Antwerpen gedruckt by Ian Meyssens Constvercooper op de Eyermert inden goude Rexdalder | Abrah. a Diepenbeck delin. — Cornelis Meyssens sculpsit. || Handwritten inscription below: Frederik Verachter

Letterpress title-page:

HET GULDEN CABINET | VANDE EDEL VRY | SCHILDER – CONST | ontsloten door den lanck ghevvenschten | Vrede tusschen de tvee mach- | tighe Croonen van SPAIGNIEN | EN | VRANCRYCK, | Waer-inne begrepen is den ontstersse- | lijcken loss vande vermaerste | Constminnende Geesten | ENDE | SCHILDERS | Van dese Eeuvv, hier inne meest near het | leven as-gebeldt , verciert met veel ver- | makelijcke Rijmen ende Spreucken. | DOOR | Cornelis de Bie Notaris binnen Lyer. ||

Colophon:

GHEDRUCKT T’ANTWERPEN, | By Juliane van Monfort, Boeck-drucker / ende Boeck- | vercooper / woonende inde Hoog-strat / teghen | over de Hayre-strat / inden Wolback. | Anno 1662. ||

Collation:

Two binder’s blank leaves with hand-written inscriptions, [π₁] engraved t.p., [A₁] letterpress t.p., A–Z⁴, W⁴, 2A–2Z⁴, 2W⁴, 3A–3Z⁴, 3W⁴, 4A⁴–4B²; two binder’s blanks; total 295 leaves. One additional manuscript leaf inserted after R₂.

Pagination [2] [2] 3-585 [3], total 590 printed pages.

97 full-page engraved portraits of artists; one engraved plate of the personification of Rome (Roma) repeated five times (pp. 321, 329, 371, 391, and 519). Woodcut endpieces throughout; portions of the text printed in black letter.

Provenance:

– Frederik Verachter (Dutch, 1797–1870), archivist of the Antwerp city library; with signature on title, marginal annotations and inserted leaf with biographical notes on one of the artists; numerous manuscript notes in his hand throughout.
– Gustave Charles Antoine Marie Van Havre (Belgian, 1817–1892), historian, collector, and bibliophile; with his engraved yellow armorial bookplate on front pastedown.

Note on edition: Although the engraved and letterpress title pages are dated 1661 and name Jan Meyssens as publisher, the colophon reads: “Ghedruckt t’Antwerpen, by Juliane van Monfort … Anno 1662.” Bibliographers treat Het Gulden Cabinet as a single first edition (1661), financed and issued by Meyssens, with part of the press run subcontracted to Juliane van Monfort and completed in 1662. Copies such as this one, bearing the 1662 Monfort colophon, are therefore not a “second edition,” but represent the 1662 Monfort printing of the first edition.

Reference: Royal Collection Trust.

Catalogue raisonné: J. F. Van Someren (1888) pp. 200-202.

Backer, Jacob de (Flemish, c. 1555 – c. 1585) (artist)

Balen, Jan van (Flemish, 1611 – 1654) (artist)

Bally, David (Dutch, 1584 – 1657) (artist)

Beck, David [Beek] (Dutch, 1621 – 1656) (artist)

Bie, Cornelis de (Flemish, 1627 – 1711) (author)

Bloemaert, Abraham (Dutch, 1565 – 1658) (artist)

Borcht I, Hendrik van der, the Elder (Flemish, 1583 – 1651) (artist)

Borcht II, Hendrik van der, the Younger (German 1614 –  1676)  (artist)

Bouttats, Frederik, the Elder (Flemish, 1590 – 1661) (attributed to) (engraver)

Bramer, Leonard [Leendert] (Dutch, 1596 – 1674) (artist)

Bronckhorst, Jan Gerritsz van (Dutch, 1603-1661) (artist)

Bylert, Jan van (Dutch, 1603 – 1671) (artist)

Caukercken, Cornelis van (Flemish, 1626 – 1680) (engraver)

Collin, Richard (Luxembourgish, 1627 – 1698) (engraver)

Coques, Gonzales (Flemish, 1614 – 1684) (artist)

Cossiers, Joannes (Flemish, 1600 – 1671) (artist)

Danckerts de Rij, Peter (Dutch, 1605-1660) (artist)

Dipenbeeck, Abraham van (Dutch, 1596 – 1675) (artist)

Does, Antony van der (Flemish, 1609 –1680) (engraver)

Dyck, Anthony van (Flemish, 1599 – 1641) (artist)

François, Pierre (fl. 1643) (artist)

Hecke, Jan van den, the Elder (Flemish, 1620 – 1684) (engraver)

Heil, Daniel van (Flemish, 1604 – 1664) (artist)

Heil, Jan Baptiste van (Flemish, 1609 – 1685) (artist)

Heil, Leo van (Flemish, 1605 – c. 1664) (artist)

Helt Stockade, Nicolaes van (Dutch, 1614 – 1669) (artist)

Hollar, Wenceslaus [Hollar, Václav; Wenzel] ( Bohemian, 1607 – 1677) (artist)

Hondius I, Hendrick [de Hondt] (Flemish-Dutch, 1573 – 1650) (artist)

Janssens, Cornelis van Ceulen [Johnson, Cornelius] (Flemish-Dutch, 1593-1664) (artist)

Jode I, Pieter de, the Elder (1570 – 1634) (engraver)

Jordaens, Jacob (Flemish, 1593 – 1678) (artist)

Lint, Peter van (Flemish, 1609 – 1690) (artist)

Meyssens, Cornelis (Flemish, 1639 – fl.1673) (engraver)

Meyssens, Joannes [Johannes, Jan, Jean] (Flemish, 1612 – 1670)

Mola, Pier Francesco (Italian, 1612 – 1666) (artist)

Monte, Deodat del [Mont, Deodat van der; Delmont, Deodatus] (Flemish, 1582 – 1644) (artist)

Montfort, Jan van (fl. c. 1595 – 1644) (printer)

Padoanino, Francisco (Italian, 1660) (artist)

Poelenburgh, Cornelis van [Poelenburch] (Dutch, 1594 – 1667) (artist)

Pontius, Paulus (Flemish, 1603 – 1658) (engraver)

Quellinus, Erasmus, the Younger (Flemish, 1607 – 1678) (artist)

Reni, Guido (Italian,  1575 – 1642) (artist)

Sadeler II, Egidius (Flemish, c.1570 – 1629) (artist)

Saftleven, Herman, the Younger (Dutch, 1609 – 1685) (artist)

Seghers, Gerard (Flemish, 1591 - 1651) (artist)

Snyers, Hendrik (Flemish, 1611 – 1644) (engraver)

Soutman, Pieter Claesz (Dutch, 1593/1601 – 1657) (artist)

Steen, Franciscus van der (Flemish, 1625 – 1672) (engraver)

Teniers, David, the Younger (Flemish, 1610 – 1690) (artist)

Venne, Adriaen van de [Adriaen Pietersz] (Dutch, 1589 – 1662) (artist)

Voet, Alexander, the Elder (Flemish, 16-8/1613 – 1689) (engraver)

Vorsterman, Lucas, the Elder (Flemish, 1595-1675) (engraver)

Waumans, Conraed (Flemish, 1619 – 1675) (engraver)

Willaerts, Adam (Dutch, 1577 – 1664) (artist)