‎PIGAGE, Nicolas de ( text ) - Chrétien MECHEL ( engravings ) :‎
‎La Galerie électorale de Dusseldorff, ou catalogue raisonné et figuré de ses tableaux.‎

‎ Basle (Basel), Chretien de Mechel, 1778, 2 vols. in-folio, oblong format, 30 x 38 cm, [1] Text volume: xiv pp (with engraved vignette) + 6 parts, each preceded by a half-title with vignette: 34pp + 28 pp + 52 pp +42 pp +28 pp + 44 pp ( text vol. complete) . [2] Plate volume: title with vignet + 4 plates (A-D) + 26 plates (numbered I-XXVI), (all separated by serpente leaf. ( plate volume complete). Both volumes bound in a contemporary master binding. Full mottled calf, Both covers with a sevenfold gilt fillet, the last inner fillet being a large floral ornament. Gilt decorated spines with two green leather labels. All edges gilt and marbled. Marbled endpapers. Both volumes kept in matching boxes (board covered with leather). boxes with gilt decoration and 2 red leather labels on spine. The boxes show some slight traces of use and one side of the upper cover starts to split. Due to the fact that the books are kept in these boxes the books with their splendid bindings are in pristine condition. The only negative point to mention is that in the text volume some leaves are evenly browned. With the modern printed ex-libris of ''Cultura-Fonds Dilbeek''. This is the first and only edition of the first critical catalogue of a German art collection. It offers also some views of the architecture and a groudfloor of the museum. This was highly innovative in the 18th c. (Katalog der Ornamentstich Sammlung Berlin item 3973)..‎

Reference : 53801

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