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ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DUTCH BOOKS OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY
GOLTZIUS, Hubertus. C. Julius Caesar Historiae Imperatorum Caesarumque Romanorum Ex Antiquis Numismatibus Restitutae.
Brughes, H. Goltzius, 1563.
BOUND WITH: GOLTZIUS, Hubertus. Caesar Augustus Sive Historiae Imperatorum Caesarumque Romanorum Ex Antiquis Numismatibus Restitutae.
Brughes, [H. Goltzius], 1574. 2 works in 1 volume. Folio (32 x 23 cm). I. Engraved architectural title, 54 full-page engravings of coins, 6 historiated initials, 3 of which hand-coloured, printer's device final page. II. Engraved title and 83 full-page engravings of antique coins, 4 historiated initials, printer's device final page. Contemporary vellum with yapp edges, remains of later green ties.
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First editions of Goltzius's numismatic histories of Julius Caesar and Caesar Augustus. The splendidly engraved title-pages and the sober typography prompted De la Fontaine Verwey to rank these works among the most beautiful Dutch books of the sixteenth century (p. 86), praising their allure, majestic title-pages and excellent typography (p. 100). In 1558 the historian, artist and publisher Hubertus Goltzius (1526-1583) made an agreement with Marcus Laurinus (1530-1579), lord of Watervliet, to produce a series of four volumes on Greek and five volumes on Roman history. Each volume would contain drawings of ancient coins and a historic sketch of the period described. Goltzius was to execute the project and Laurinus would provide the finances. Goltzius settled in Brughes in 1558 for a salary of thirty stivers a day, fifteen of which were to be paid from the proceeds of the sale of the books, which would be the joint property of both. Goltzius began by describing the coin collection of Laurinus, and subsequently made a tour of 950 collections in Germany, Italy and France from 1558 and 1560. At the end of the first volume, he included a list of all the collectors he visited, among others Ortelius, Vasari, Vico, Sambucus, Grolier, William I, and Charles V. In 1561 Goltzius received permission to establish a printing press in Brughes, the Officina Goltziana.
The first volume, C. Julius Caesar (actually the projected volume two in the series of Roman history) was published in 1563, an impressive folio volume, worthy of the artist and the maecenas (De la Fontaine Verwey, p. 86). It contains 54 full-page engravings of ancient coins within ornamental frames and a history of the life of Caesar, the latter probably written by the modest Laurinus (De la Fontaine Verwey) and not by Goltzius. The engravings are printed on the leaves of the letterpress gatherings (pp. I-LVII, excepting XX, XXIV and XXXVI). Cancel slips correct the interchanged letterpress captions to plates IIII and V. The beautiful title-page was engraved after the design of Lambert Lombard and shows a female figure representing the city of Rome, sitting on seven hills, handing a globe to Caesar. The river Tiber and the wolf suckling Romulus and Remus are also depicted. To the left there is the figure of Mars, to the right Venus, and underneath the title allegorical female figures symbolize the conquered nations with the Ocean at the right. The date, 1562, has been changed as usual to 1563 (see also colophon). At the end of the work, there is an elegant printer's device, whose design is also ascribed to Lambert Lombard, showing a standing female figure carrying a horn of plenty from which ancient coins are falling.
In 1566 Goltzius published another volume of Roman history, Fastos Magistratuum et Triumphorum Romanorum (volume one of the series of Roman history), and in 1574 the third volume, a sequel to C. Julius Caesar , appeared, Caesar Augustus sive Historiae Imperatorum Caesarumque Romanorum ex Antiquis Numismatibus Restitutae Liber Secundus . The beautifully engraved title-page (again after Lambert Lombard?) shows the Senate handing Augustus a globe. The text is contained within an ornamented portal, with three female figures sitting before the base, symbolizing Europe, Asia, and Africa. The work contains 83 full-page engravings (pp. I-LXXXIII) showing ancient coins, and Goltzius's printer's device is found on the final page. The engravings are printed on the leaves of the letterpress gatherings.
According to the ownership inscription on the front endleaf, the present copy belonged to the library of the bookcollector A.D. Schinkel (NNBW III, cols 1140-1141), whose impressive library was sold in 1864.
Slight waterstaining inner margin (in some parts) and outer margin throughout, some small corrosion spots, a few corrosion holes, not affecting text; a6 slightly soiled. Very good copy of these beautiful examples of sixteenth-century printing.
