Set of three engraved sheets with portrait busts

Acquired From: Leen Helmink

Colouring: Uncoloured

Condition: Good

Confirmed: Yes

Date Acquired: 16/12/2019

Dealers ID No.: BB228

Description: This set of three engraved sheets comprises bust portraits of renowned historical figures, drawn from Icones quinquaginta virorum illustrium (Fifty Images of Illustrious Men), a late sixteenth-century biographical portrait series compiled by Jean-Jacques Boissard and in Frankfurt by Theodor de Bry and his heirs between 1597 and 1599. The engravings, attributed to Robert Boissard, are believed to be based on original designs by Jean-Jacques Boissarda noted humanist, antiquarian, and poet.nEach sheet presents three bust-length portraits set within ornately framed ovals, with accompanying Latin inscriptions and concise biographical texts that celebrate the intellectual and scientific achievements of their subjects. The selection highlights key figures from the Renaissance and earlier whose contributions spanned mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, cartography, and exploration.n''Sheet 1: ''nRenatus Descartes (15961650): French philosopher and mathematician, founder of modern rationalism.nJan Huyghen van Linschoten (15631611): Dutch merchant, explorer, and author of travel accounts that opened Asian trade routes to the Dutch.nPetrus Ramus (15151572): French humanist and educational reformer, known for challenging Aristotelian logic.n''Sheet 2: ''nNicolaus Tartaglia (c.14991557): Italian mathematician known for his work on ballistics and algebra.nGerard Mercator (15121594): Flemish cartographer, creator of the Mercator projection.nNicolaus Copernicus (14731543): Polish astronomer who proposed the heliocentric model of the universe.n''Sheet 3: ''nGemma Frisius (15081555): Dutch physician, mathematician, and cartographer, teacher of Gerard Mercator.nClaudius Ptolemy (c.100c.170): Greco-Roman mathematician and geographer, author of the Geographia.nSebastian Münster (14881552): German cosmographer and editor of the Cosmographia, one of the most influential geographical works of the sixteenth century.

First published: Frankfurt: Theodor de Bry and his heirs, 1595-1599

Mapmaker: Boissard, Robert (ca. 1570-1601)

Price: 3,000

Primary Category: Prints & Related Material

Purchase Reference: Ledger 2022. Email 17 Dec 2019

Rarity: R1 Extremely rare – occasionally seen on the market

Sheet size (cm): 41.5×28

Technique: Copper Engraving