Les Portraits Des Hommes Illustres François Qui Sont Peints Dans La Galerie Du Palais Cardinal De Richelieu · Avec Leurs Principales Actions, Armes, Devises, & Eloges Latins, Desseignez & gravez par les Sieurs Heince & Bignon, Peintres & Graveurs ordinaires du Roy. Dediez A Monseigneur Seguier Chancelier De France, Comte De Gyen, &c. Ensemble Les Abregez Historiques De Leurs Vies, Composez Par M. De Vulson Sieur De La Colombiere, Gentilhomme Ordinaire de la Chambre du Roy, &c.
RA Collection: Book
Record number
06/5220
Imprint
A Paris,: Edme Pepingué, en la Grand' Sale, du costé de la Cour des Aydes, proche la porre de la Sale Dauphine. Chez { Charles De Sercy, dans la sale Dauphine, à la Bonne-Foy Couronnée. Et Guillaume De Luynes, Libraire Iuré, en la Galerie des Merciers, sous la Montée de la Cour des Aydes.} Au Palais. -, M.DC.LV. Avec Privilege Du Roy.
Physical Description
[66] p., frontis., port., [25] pl.; 457 mm. (Broadsheet.)
Contents
[Frontis., t.p., port., dedic.] - [Plates and texts] - Les Devises Heroyques Peints Dans La Galerie Du Palais Cardinal. (The order of the preliminary leaves varies from copy to copy.)
Responsibility Note
The frontispiece is captioned as drawn by Zac. Heince and engraved by Franc. Bignon, and is signed as engraved by Fra. Bignon. The portrait of the dedicatee and the [25] portraits are unsigned.
The work is dedicated by Heince & Bignon to Monseigneur Seguier Chancelier De France.
References
A. Adams, S. Rawles, A, Saunders, A Bibliography Of French Emblem Books (2 vols. 1999-2002), vol. II. no. 621, p.619; J. Landwehr, French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese Books of Devices and Emblems, 1534-1827 (1976) no. 777; M. Praz, Studies in Seventeenth-Century Imagery (2nd. ed., 1964), p.532.
B. Dorival, 'Recherches sur les portraits gravés aux XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles d'après Philippe de Champaigne', in Gaz. B.-A., n.s. 5, LXXV (1970), p.257-330.
Summary Note
This is a record of the celebrated Galerie des Hommes Illustres, a series of portraits of French celebrities painted by Champaigne and Vouet for Richelieu's Palais Cardinal; of which only three paintings survive (Champaigne's 'Gaston de Foix' and 'Louis XIII', and Vouet's 'Gaucher de Chatillon' - all in the Louvre Museum).
A somewhat shorter version had been published in 1650.
Provenance
The title page is inscribed in ink, 'Jo: Barker' and '7. April. 1659; A Paris. Ex dono Dni Bradwardine Tyndall.' Purchased for RA Library in 1870 (see 'Librarian's Report for the Year 1870', RA Annual Report, Appendix No. 6, p. 29).
Binding Note
20th-century brown cloth, upper cover carrying red morocco title-label lettered 'Portraits Des Hommes Illustres 1655'.
Celebrities - Monarchs - France - History
Paintings - Portraits - France - History - 17th century
Collections - France - Paris - History - 17th century
Pictorial works - France - 17th century