Lot Essay
THE PRESENT LOT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THREE SIMULTANEOUS ISSUES OF THE FIRST AND ONLY EDITION OF AN ELABORATE ILLUSTRATED SEMI-MYTHOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE BATAVIAN REVOLT AGAINST THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN 69-70 AD. THE AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER PRODUCED A LAVISH BOOK, WITH COLOURED FOLDING MAPS AND ILLUSTRATION PLATES COPIED FROM THOSE ENGRAVED BY ANTONIO TEMPESTA FOR OTTO VAN VEEN'S BATAVORUM CUM ROMANIS BELLUM (ANTWERP, 1612)
EACH PLATE IS PRINTED IN A FULL-PAGE FRAME, PRINTED FROM A SECOND PLATE. THE FOUR ENGRAVINGS USED AS HEAD AND TAILPIECES (AT LEAST THREE ENGRAVED BY B. DE BAKKER) SHOW CLASSICAL FIGURES REPRESENTING THE RHINE RIVER, PUTTI PRESENTING GREEK AND ROMAN CLASSICS TO THE AUTHOR IN HOMMAGE, A PORTRAIT MEDALLION OF THE REVOLT'S LEADER CLAUDIUS (JULIUS] CIVILIS WITH MILITARY ATTRIBUTES, AND A RELIEF SCULPTURE SUPPOSEDLY FOUND IN THE RUINS OF THE ROMAN 'BRITTENBRUG FORTRESS' IN KATWIJK. DURING THE DUTCH REVOLT AGAINST SPAIN, THE BATAVIAN REVOLT AGAINST ROME TOOK ON SYMBOLIC MEANING AND A POWERFUL AURA OF PATRIOTTISM.
EACH PLATE IS PRINTED IN A FULL-PAGE FRAME, PRINTED FROM A SECOND PLATE. THE FOUR ENGRAVINGS USED AS HEAD AND TAILPIECES (AT LEAST THREE ENGRAVED BY B. DE BAKKER) SHOW CLASSICAL FIGURES REPRESENTING THE RHINE RIVER, PUTTI PRESENTING GREEK AND ROMAN CLASSICS TO THE AUTHOR IN HOMMAGE, A PORTRAIT MEDALLION OF THE REVOLT'S LEADER CLAUDIUS (JULIUS] CIVILIS WITH MILITARY ATTRIBUTES, AND A RELIEF SCULPTURE SUPPOSEDLY FOUND IN THE RUINS OF THE ROMAN 'BRITTENBRUG FORTRESS' IN KATWIJK. DURING THE DUTCH REVOLT AGAINST SPAIN, THE BATAVIAN REVOLT AGAINST ROME TOOK ON SYMBOLIC MEANING AND A POWERFUL AURA OF PATRIOTTISM.