Very rare first edition of this magnificent series of cavalrymen and lansquentes in various positions, bound for Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales (1598-1612) with his coat-of-arms on the boards. All plates are signed by Jacob II de Gheyn ("IDGheyn in. et ex.") and engraved either by De Gheyn himself, or by Zacharias Dolendo after De Gheyn. The famous designer, engraver, publisher, and painter Jacob II de Gheyn, born in Antwerp in 1565, was an apprentice of Hendrick Goltzius in Haarlem between 1585 and 1587. In 1596, he moved to Leiden where he lived till 1602 working together with many of the professors of the newly founded University, amongst whom the "prodigy" Hugo de Groot (1583-1645), who became world famous as a lawyer and humanist. De Groot supplied the eight lines of poetry for the frontispiece of The Riding School, engraved within an elaborate border full of military symbols, such as a knight in armour holding a horse bridle on the left and a training master to the right, a stirrup, a currycomb, weapons, a skull with a laurel wreath symbolising "Death and Glory", and smoking trumpets. During these years in Leiden, De Gheyn worked mainly as a designer and publisher, leaving most of the engraving to apprentices, especially to Zacharias Dolendo (1561-1601). From ca. 1600 till his death in 1629, De Gheyn was active as a painter, draughtsman, and publisher in The Hague.
The series of 22 plates of The Riding School, which illustrate the handling of the various arms used by cavalrymen, was in all likelihood commissioned by Prince Maurice of Orange (1567-1625), and Count Johann II of Nassau-Siegen (1561-1623) in 1597 or 1598 as the counterpart to their commission of the 117 plates devoted to the infantry in the Wapenhandelinghe van roers, musquetten ende spiessen (New Hollstein, The De Gheyn Family, vol. 2, pp. 159-207, nos. 340-457) which was published eventually in 1607 after a deliberate delay to prevent the Spanish enemy from taking advantage of the information it contained.
The present cavalry series is directly related to Jos Amman's model book Artliche und Kunstreiche Figuren zu der Reuttery (1584), containing plates of free standing single riders in various positions, the first representations of such riders in Germany.
The cavalry series was published four times: our edition of 1599, subsequently by Claes Jansz. Visscher in Amsterdam in 1640, then by Clement de Jonghe in Amsterdam, after 1652, and lastly, by Frederik de Wit in Amsterdam (before 1706?).
The present work ws apparently bound for Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales (1598-1612), as his coat-of-arms is stamped in gold on both boards. Henry Frederick was the eldest son of King James VI of Scotland (who was also King James I of England) who died before succeeding his father, leaving the throne for his younger brother: King Charles I of England. Henry Frederick's coat-of-arms is that of the kingdom and thus the same as his father since ascending the English throne and even that of his brother King Charles I. However, it is differenced by a label of three points argent at the top of the shield (also visible in the armorial stamp on the present binding), to differentiate between father King James I and the heir apparent Henry Frederick before his premature death. Because of a 19th-century inscription on the front pastedown, we know that a century and a half later, this work was part of the collection of Richard Cosway (1742-1822), one of the most fashionable miniaturists of England and a collector of drawings and prints. This collection was sold at auction by Georg Stanley in London between 14 and 21 February 1822 (The Cosway Collection. Catalogue of the very numberous collection... (London, 1822; lot 113?). In that same inscription, we are told who the next owner of this splendidly bound collection of engravings is, namely a certain Lord Harrington. This, most likely, refers to Charles Stanhope, 4th Earl of Harrington (1780-1851), who was a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to both King George III and King George IV between 1812 and 1820.
With a small engraved book plate showing a CR monogram of Richard Cosway, and a 19th-century inscription "Bought at Mr Cosway's sale 1822 for Lord Harrington" (probably referring to Charles Stanhope, 4th Earl of Harrington), both on the front paste-down. The binding has been re-backed, with the original back strip laid down, and the leather on the boards is somewhat scratched and rubbed, but still leaving the coat-of-arms centrepiece quite clear. All plates show a vertical fold line in the middle, the leaves are slightly dust soiled and the upper outer corner of the leaves are somewhat water stained, without affecting the plates, otherwise the engravings remain fine and clean. Overall in very good condition. The complete collection of De Gheyn's "Riding School" plates in a royal binding. Biblioth. Hippologica Johan Dejager (2014), pp. 780-781, no. 011; Hollstein VII, 263-284; New Hollstein, The De Gheyn Family, vol. 2, 190-211 (descriptions and illustrations of all plates); Polman, De ruiterserie van Jacob de Gheyn (1998); Rechteren Altena, Jacques de Gheyn, Three generations (1983) vol. 1, p. 54, vol. 2, pp. 62-64, nos. 200-321; for the coat-of-arms on the binding see: UofT - British Armorial Bindings - Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales (1594-1612) (Stamp 01) https://armorial.library.utoronto.ca/stamps/IHEN004_s01.