A rare, complete, coloured and heightened in gold, first edition of Johann Ulrich Krauss' Heilige Augen- und Gemüths-Lust, or "holy delight of the eye and soul". Krauss (1655-1719) was a famous artist, engraver and publisher in Augsburg, South Germany during the second half of the 17th century. He was one of the most influential artists of the baroque period in the south of Germany. This work contains 120 numbered plates, with two illustrations each - one biblical scene, in a golden border, on the upper half of the plate and the lower half of the plate contains a circular emblem within a eleborately decorated frame. These distinct frames and the use of certain colours are characteristic of the German baroque style. Each plate is dedicated to a different holy day, indicated by a title at the head of the plate and inbetween the two illustrations the relevant bible text for that day is engraved. Unlike other copies of Kraus' work, the present copy is richly and beautifully coloured and even heightened with gold throughout, which adds a striking level of detail and nuance, otherwise missing from the uncoloured engravings. The colour and touches of gold in both the biblical scenes and the emblems add a whole different dimension and it brings the scenes in the illlustrations to life. It is clear that much thought and attention went into the making of this copy, the plates are printed on thicker, heavier paper as to prevent the colour from bleeding through and making it almost twice as thick as uncoloured copies on thinner paper. Although the copy does not contain any ownership mark, it was almost certainly produced for an important public figure or an influential and/or wealthy patron.
Even though other copies of Krauss' Heilige Augen- und Gemüths-Lust are known, almost all are uncoloured and even lack some pages and/or plates. This is one of the only known complete and coloured, and thus very rare, copies of this work.
Binding shows some signs of wear, small note in black ink at the foot of the first full title-page, small marginal repairs to the half-title-page and 2 text leaves in part 1, some very slight browning or marginal soiling throughout, light stain on plate no. 32. This rare, coloured first edition of Krauss' "Picture Bible" is in good condition. Faber du Faur, 1849; Landwehr, German 390; Praz, p. 389; Thieme-Becker, 21:440. cf. C. Schwingenstein, "Kraus, Johann Ulrich" in: Neue Deutsche Biographie 12 (1980), pp. 689-690; Otto Reichl, Die Illustrationen in vier geistlichen Büchern des Augsburger Kupferstechers, Johann Ulrich Krauss. Studien zur deutschen Kunstgeschichte 294 (Strassburg, 1933).