Silvarum Libri IV

£2,000 · Offered by Maggs Bros Ltd

An attractive copy of the sole edition of expelled Jesuit Agostino Mascardi’s (1590-1640) poetry on a variety of themes, with a title page designed by Peter Paul Rubens; a presentation copy from the author to the Society of Jesus, after his expulsion from their ranks. Unusually, Mascardi himself financed the publication of this work by buying the first 500 copies of the thousand-copy print run for 300 guilders in September, 1621 (Corpus, p.37) and guaranteeing further expenses after publication; the present copy is conceivably one of those 500 owned, and then gifted by the author. He - via a representative - also agreed to pay for the engraving of the title page; Moretus paid Theodore Galle 32 guilders in February 1622. Rubens, after whose design Galle executed the engraving, received 12 guilders ( Corpus , p.217). Moretus employed his childhood friend, Rubens, in the design of many title pages for books that issued from his press. “There was no contemporary or earlier artist of his standing who contributed so many illustrations to books of any kind or size like Rubens”, and surviving correspondence from the printer reveals how Rubens worked: he ‘needed three months’ notice, and Moretus preferred to give him six, in order to complete one title page. The generous working period was needed as Rubens worked on the title pages in his leisure on Sunday. …[He] was paid for his work, but the price depended strictly on size. […]’. It was Moretus who inked the lettering of the title o

• Year: 1622

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