Sacrarum Antiquitatum Monumenta
Patriarchs, Kings, Prophets, and truly illustrious men of the Old Testament, presented and inscribed with images and encomiums.
By Ludovicus Hillessemius of Andernach.
Antwerp, from the workshop of Christophe Plantin, Royal Printer; 1577.
(Antwerp, Christophe Plantin. 1577.)
HILLESSEMIO, Ludovicus.
Octavo (175 x 113 mm). [8] leaves, 96 pages. Contemporary temporary binding in limp vellum. Ink title on the spine; raised bands visible on the spine.
Issued from the prestigious presses of Christophe Plantin in Antwerp, then at the height of his activity, this work is a collection of sacred emblems featuring great figures of the Old Testament (patriarchs, kings, prophets).
Each figure is accompanied by a copper engraving, either a portrait or a small scene, followed by an elogium and a motto or biblical verse.
The format follows the tradition of humanist Icones, where image and text complement each other to illustrate a virtue or a significant episode. The structure follows the Bible's chronological order: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, etc., concluding with the prophets.
The engravings in the 1577 edition are the work of a small circle of Antwerp artists active within the orbit of the Plantin workshop. The most precise attribution comes from the Rijksmuseum, which credits 38 of the 39 engravings to Johannes Sadeler (after drawings by Crispijn van den Broeck) and one engraving to Abraham de Bruyn (after Pieter van der Borcht). The 39th plate, depicting Nathan (No. 44), was engraved by Abraham de Bruyn after a drawing by Pieter van der Borcht. The author's portrait, serving as the frontispiece, is listed as anonymous in the same source.
Voet 1335. Graesse III, p. 279. USTC 401731.
Condition: Good condition; the temporary vellum binding shows signs of age, with some minor staining and soiling. As it is a contemporary temporary binding, the vellum is not rigid and the binding itself is somewhat crude; however, the internal pages are in very good condition. A fragment of a manuscript, visible from the title page, has been used in the binding.
