Estampes

1841 · V74754 — Wien Vienna: Mayer & Compagnie 3rd revised edition. 1841. Hardcover. Good. Frontisplate 59 other steel-engraved plates lacking pl.50 Sisyphus originally engraved on copper in 1815 by Franz St ber 1795-1858. Large octavo 24cm x 15.5cm newer linen-spined boards with old paper relaid on covers and spine has title but lacks original paper at spine head and foot. Unpaginated but each numbered plate has tissue guard and facing leaf of text in German to explain each myth. Lacks plate 50 maybe cut out by censor. Some foxing and light marginal damp marks at gutter not touching engraved part of plates. The steel-engraved images of gods nymphs and heroes are quite small 9.5cm x 6.5cm printed on strong paper at centre of each plate but of very fine quality and detail. They are closely based on similarly numbered copperplate engravings by Franz Xaver St ber first published Vienna 1815 in similar large octavo format but with completely different anonymous German text. The detail of these later steel engravings only differs from St ber's original 1815 copperplates by covering up some female breasts better to comply with 1840s more prudish moral code. They still retain the strongly erotic impression given by many of the originals thus helping to maintain their popularity over more than 25 years. Mayer & Compagnie 3rd revised edition. hardcover