THE MAGNIFICENT ILLUSTRATION OF THE SWEDISH WARS 1655-60

PUFENDORF, SAMUEL.

Sieben Bücher von den Thaten Carl Gustavs Königs in Schweden, Mit Vortrefflichen Kupffern ausgezieret und mit nöthigen Registern versehen aus dem Lateinischen ins Hoch=Teutsche übersetzet von S.R.

Nürnberg, Christoph Riegels, 1697.

Folio (355 x 250 mm). In a contemporary full calf binding with six raised bands and gilt lettering and ornamentation to spine, edges of boards gilt. Light wear to extremeties, corner's bumped and some of gilting worn of. Small paper-label to upper compartment of spine (catalogue-number in an estate-library). The large plate depicting the funeral procession with a few repairs and tears as usual. Plates with light occassional marginal brownspotting but overall a very good copy.  
Engraved titlepage (Boulanger Sculp.). 4 leaves (incl. printed title), 734, (66), 24 pp. 10 engraved portraits and 114 fine double-page engraved plates (1 triple-page), including the 4,5 m. long funeral procession of King Carl X Gustaf, folded 14 times and composed of 7 plates.

Scarce first German edition, second overall (the first being in Latin published in 1696), of this profusely illustrated work on the Swedish Wars.

The writing of this official history of the Swedish Wars with Poland and Denmark from 1655 to 1660 was entrusted by the King Charles XI to Samuel Pufendorf, the famous and important German jurist, political philosopher, economist, statesman and historian, who was made a baron in 1694, shortly before he died. He has played a great role in the development of the philosophy of law and political history. His famous work on the Swedish Wars is also famed for its impressive and excellent illustrations, -not least the 450 cm. long procession-plate.

To illustrate the history, use was made of the original drawings by Erik Dahlberg, the Quarter-Master general of the Swedish Army, who was an eye-witness. The drawings were engraved by the same artists that Dahlbergh employed in Paris and later in Sweden for his "Suecia Antiqua", e.g. Boulanger, Cochin, Jean le Pautre, Perelle etc. etc. It includes views from Poland, Denmark, Germany and Norway. It is easy to trace the influence of Callot, as well as of Rubens in these splendid Cavalry scenes.

Swedish Books No 38
Warmholtz: 4840
Graesse V, 504

Order-nr.: 60539