BOOKS ON ARCHITECTURE

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Transcribed version of the text

French

     Against all odds, Boillot’s book, so typically Mannerist, was rather popular during the 17^th century, “reduced”, in a small format (octavo). The first reissue, apparently extremely rare, is indicated only once (Berlin Katalog 3924). It consists of fifty leaves compared with fifty-one in the Mariette and Moncornet editions. It is a new presentation of practically of Boillot’s original plates (fifty-five), reengraved on copper and inverted. The texts, entirely engraved, copy the original version rather faithfully. This edition is attributed to the engraver and cartographer Pierre van Lochom, established like Michel at the Rose blanche couronnée. Unfortunately nothing is known about the reasons they were brought together (Jal 1872). Michel died in 1647 and his widow Marguerite Le Noir sold engraved plates to Balthazar Moncornet for 3000 livres on June 15, 1650. This probably explains Moncornet’s reprints. One year later he became half owner of the Rose blanche couronnée, his partner being Pierre I Mariette, the husband of Geneviève Le Noir.

Frédérique Lemerle (Centre national de la recherche scientifique,
Centre d’études supérieures de la Renaissance, Tours) – 2013

Critical bibliography

J. Boillot, Nouveaux Pourtraitz et figures des Termes pour user en l’architecture, composez et enrichiz de diversité d’animaulz représentez au vray selon l’antipathie et contrariété de chacun d’iceulx..., facsimile reissue with critical presentation, index et glossary by P. Choné & G. Viard, Paris, Klincksieck, 1995.

M. Grivel, Le commerce de l’estampe à Paris au XVII^e siècle, Genève, Droz, 1986, pp. 382-383.

A. Jal, Dictionnaire critique de biographie et d’histoire. Errata et supplément... Deuxième édition corrigée et augmentée..., Paris, Plon, 1872, p. 792.