Albrecht Durer on Human Proportions. 1st Dutch edition of 1622.

The first Dutch edition (1622) of Albrecht Durer's Four Books on Human Proportions, here titled Beschryvinghe van Albrecht Durer, van de Menschelijcke Proportion.

"Durer's work on human proportions is called the Four Books on Human Proportion of 1528. The first book was mainly composed by 1512/13 and completed by 1523, showing five differently constructed types of both male and female figures, all parts of the body expressed in fractions of the total height. Durer based these constructions on both Vitruvius and empirical observations of "two to three hundred living persons", in his own words. The second book includes eight further types, broken down not into fractions but an Albertian system, which Durer probably learned from Francesco di Giorgio's De harmonica mundi totius of 1525. In the third book, Durer gives principles by which the proportions of the figures can be modified, including the mathematical simulation of convex and concave mirrors; here Durer also deals with human physiognomy. The fourth book is devoted to the theory of movement. Appended to the last book, however, is a self-contained essay on aesthetics, which Durer worked on between 1512 and 1528, and it is here that we learn of his theories concerning 'ideal beauty'." - Wikipedia

This copy with three added, non-collated, or called for (in USTC, OCLC, or STCN) plates; one of the plates is a foldout, and two are placed at the T gathering (increasing it from T2 to T4), showing lines extending to proportions next to a lens-like illustration.

Provenance -

An interesting note at the top of the title page says, "A mon ami (?) artiste (?)"; it was once gifted to an artist. I read the name as "Huys" or "Pluys", which both of them are low country artist names.

The pastedown has the stamp of an "Librairie Ancienne Malines".

Bibliographic Details -

Universal Short Title Catalogue (USTC) number 1028410, 13 copies recorded in the world's libraries, none in the U.S.

Worldcat OCLC catalogue numbers 921090822 and 1415354829; 2 copies here recorded.

Short Title Catalogue of the Netherlands 833382918; they list 8 copies.

Physical Attributes -

Measures approx. 31.5 x 20 x 3 cm. Folio. Vellum binding. Illustrated throughout. Monogram of Durer on title page where printer's device commonly is found.

Pages - ii, 208, [4], 209-261, [7 - five pages of print and one blank leaf]. One foldout diagram.

Collation - A-N6, fold-out diagram, O4, P-S6, T2, 2 uncollated leaves, U-Z6, Aa6

Condition -

See pictures. Binding with wear, cockling (waviness) to the vellum, ties expired, a few small starts at the ends of the joints, some ink marks, some old library numbers and titling (in an old hand) to the front board and spine. Ex libris stamp on front pastedown. Bookseller, library, ex libris marks to pastedown and both sides of FEP (free front endpaper).

Text block toned throughout, with some rust spots (foxing); also, occasional thumb, page edge chip/fold/tear, candle-ember mark, ink mark, dog-eared corners, etc.

Title page mounted; inscription across top margin (gift inscription to their friend the artist, name unclear) in ink, with a few stains, worn along fore-edge and bottom corner chipped.

A6, which is the other side of the bifolium of the title page, is also mounted. For gatherings C-H, a moisture mark right at the fore-edge, near the bottom of the page; does not extend into text. Upper fore-edge repair to leaf E1, no text affected. Occasional moisture mark right at bottom-edge, does not extend into the leaf. Ink smudge at gutter of L6, bled a little into facing pages. Bottom corner of N1 chipped, no text affected. Fold-out with a little damage around edges, trimmed tight at right side. Repair at bottom gutter of T1. Repair of top edge of U1, with a “U” written on the top-edge and it’s trimmed a little down from rest of text block.

Verso of last blank a little soiled. Rear binder’s endpaper trimmed at top edge and some more ex libris marks on endpapers at rear.

Wide margins throughout, not trimmed tight. Margins are wide enough that some page edges are deckled (showing the paper making natural edge).