Jacques Androuet du Cerceau (c1520–1586), René Boyvin (1525–1598) and workshop
printmakers
“Plate 36: Machinæ Novæ Ratio” (The new system of the machine), 1569, a lifetime impression
from the first edition (signified by the inscribed Latin text—later editions have
the text on the verso of the preceding page [see https://archive.org/details/theatruminstrum00bessa/page/n81/mode/2up])
published in Jacques Besson (c1540–c1576)
and François Béroalde de Verville’s (1556–1626), ”Theatrum
instrumentorum et machinarum Iacobi Bessoni Delphinatis, mathematici
ingeniosissimi".
The Curator of the British Museum
offers the following insights regarding the plates in this publication:
“… 'Theatrum Instrumentorum et
machinarum', a treatise written by Jacques Besson, illustrated by 60 plates
(engraved by various artists including Androuet du Cerceau), and allegedly
firstly published in Orléans in 1569, though it is also referred as a book
firstly published in 1578 in Lyon.
This very popular work was
republished several times, in Geneva (1594 and 1626), in Spain (1602) and in
Nuremberg (1595)” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1850-0612-93).
Etching with engraving on laid
paper trimmed with a narrow margin around the image borderline with significant
losses (mainly in the blank areas of the image) and backed with a support
sheet.
Size: (sheet) 31.6 x 19.2 cm;
(image borderline) 31.5 x 18.8 cm.
Numbered and inscribed jn
plate at upper edge: “36/ MACHINÆ NOVÆ RATIO, QVA
APPVLSIS AD PORTVM/ CVMBIS, AQUA VEL ALIA QVAVIS RE COMPLETIS/ ET ONVSITS [ONVSTIS?],
HIS PARVO NEGOCIA EXONERENTVR –“ (36 A new machine concept by which the impact
of the gate floating on water or other impairment complete, loaded, these small
business to be discharged).
Condition: the image is strong
but the sheet is in poor condition with many significant losses (mainly in the
areas where there is no image) and, as a consequence, has been laid upon a support
sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.
I am selling this rare lifetime
impression (c1569)—despite its many losses in the “blank”/non-image areas—showing
a proposed Renaissance Period invention (possibly based on a design from
Leonardo’s unpublished notebooks [see https://www.martayanlan.com/pages/books/2350/jacques-besson/theatrum-instrumentorum-et-machinarum])
for loading heavy objects onto ships, for the total cost of AU$253 (currently
US$190.87/EUR160.16/GBP137.12 at the time of this listing) including postage
and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import
duties/taxes imposed by some countries.
If you are interested in
purchasing this amazing illustration from what is arguably the first published compendium
of machine inventions—and certainly the most influential! —please contact me
(oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make
the payment easy.
This print has been sold
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