Beschreibung:

BRAUN (Georg) and Frans HOGENBERG : THEATRE DES CITES DU MONDE, Cologne, Godfried von Kempen, 1579-[90] volumes 1-4 in 2, folio (410 x 300mm), 4 engraved titles each with pasted overslips, text in French, 236 double-page engraved plans and views, plans of Rome and Jerusalem on two sheets, COLOURED THROUGHGOUT IN A CONTEMPORARY HAND (occasional discolouration and offsetting of green pigments, small section at the centre fold of the map of Conil rubbed), contemporary French russet morocco, covers panelled in gilt with acanthus cornerpieces, smooth spine panelled vertically and titled in French, g.e. (lightly rubbed at corners and joints) Koeman II B & H 13-16. A fine set of the first 4 volumes of the French edition of this important work, bound before the publishing of the final two parts of the French edition in 1600 and 1618. The latin edition of volume 5 was first published circa 1598. This is the first systematic city atlas, the text written by Georg Braun of Cologne, the engraving of the plans executed by Frans Hogenberg and Simon Novellanus. Koeman describes the French and German editions as scarce, the title slips for these editions being pasted over the engraved Latin title. The order of the maps in this copy varies from that described by Koeman in the Latin editions; volumes 2 and 3 have an indentical order, while volumes 1 and 4 vary, although the maps are numbered consecutively. (2)