Beschreibung:

KONING, Willem. Ordre et Liste de l'Oeuvre qui a pour titre le Monde plein de Fols, ou le Theatre des Nains enrichi d'un discours chêné de leurs Personages . Amsterdam: [1720] Small 2° (362 x 224mm). Engraved title-page in French and Dutch incorporating an index of the plates, 75 plates after Koning. (Three plates with very small printing hole, 15 plates skillfully repaired on the back at the platemark). Mottled calf gilt, spine gilt in seven compartments, gilt edges by Schavye, with his stamp on final free endpaper (slightly rubbed at extremities). Provenance : Biblioteka Ts.R.U.B.Sh (Russian shelf label on the inside cover and on the spine numbered 2846); A. Beurdeley (bookplate numbered 846) The satirical representation of dwarves dates back to the works of Jacques Callot and Stefano della Bella in the Florence court of the early 17th century. The court of Florence possessed at the time a troup of dwarfs that performed races and tournament during carnival times, and for special occasions. The Famosa Giostro de'Gobbi by Callot was engraved after the festivities of the 6th of July 1612. The present series was certainly inspired by this tradition, with the difference that in this series the dwarves are caricatures. Cohen-de Ricci 722-3