“In 1655 the print collector and classicist abbé Michel de Marolles (1600–81) published a book titled Tableaux du Temple des Muses (fig. 1).1 It was a folio edition illustrated with a series of engravings of 58 wellknown myths from classical antiquity, for which he wrote detailed commentaries. The prints, most of which were designed by Abraham van Diepenbeeck (1596–1675), are extraordinarily virtuosic and original for their day. Remarkably, the identity of the engraver or engravers is not known for certain. De Marolles’s publication was an international success. New editions in different languages continued appearing until well into the eighteenth century, and copies of the print series were also published. Although the engravings are still well-known, their printing history remains a little obscure. Sources relating to the patrons and artists involved are sparse. In addition, the available material has been interpreted in different ways in the past, sometimes giving rise to incorrect conclusions.” (Altena, The Tableaux du Temple des Muses)

The Tableaux du Temple des Muses was protected by a 15-year privilege. In 1665 Nicolas Langlois published an edition with the illustrations only, and in 1676 Abraham Wolfgank published Le Tableaux du Temple des Muses in quarto format in Amsterdam.

Brunet III, 1443: “Les beaux exemplaires ens ont peu communs”.
Graesse IV, 409.