ANONYMOUS - The Story of the Empresses. Paris, H. de Sercy, 1646. In-4 period brown calf, decorated ribbed back, red slices (corners and caps rubbed, a bit split bit, qq slight underlining, qq slight russeting and wetting). Frontispiece, 8ff, 340 pp...

ANONYMOUS - The Story of the Empresses. Paris, H. de Sercy, 1646. In-4 period brown calf, decorated ribbed back, red slices (corners and caps rubbed, a bit split bit, qq slight underlining, qq slight russeting and wetting). Frontispiece, 8ff, 340 pp. Nice engraved title and 54 plates h.t. Beautiful illustrated book, rare, remained anonymous. Unknown by Brunet, Graesse and Barber. This book contains 54 biographies of Roman empresses and 54 full-page intaglio engravings showing the Empresses in the form of large medals placed in decorations reminiscent of ancient mausoleums. This remarkable iconographic set is taken from the work of the Roman antiquarian Eena Vico, "Le imagine delle donne auguste", published in Venice in 1557, a Latin edition of which appeared the following year. Instead of the printed title, this copy contains a copper-engraved frontispiece title similar to that of Vico's original work, but in which the nudity of the male figure on the right has been veiled. Automatically translated by DeepL. To see the original version, click here.