Ploos van Amstel, Cornelis and Christian Josi

large broadsheet folio (535 x 417mm), 2 volumes, engraved titles, mounted engraved portrait frontispiece and 105 engraved plates (mounted on 103 leaves) in various techniques including mezzotint, aquatint and roulette work (in some plates combined), printed in colour, grey or sepia, with occasional hand-colouring, by Ploos van Amstel, Josi and others after Rembrandt, van Ostade, Rubens, Goltzius, van Dyke, Goyen and others, each plate mounted or window-mounted, some mounts with ink and wash borders, some captioned in pencil in the lower left, contemporary red morocco gilt by J. Wright, covers with decorative border of fillets and various roll tools, spine gilt in seven compartments with raised bands, green morocco lettering pieces in two, gilt turn-ins, marbled endpapers, gilt edges, spotting to title of vol.II, 'Paysage d'Italie' (Abbey's plate number 104) and about 18 mounts, not affecting prints, covers slightly rubbed in places, corners very slightly bumped, joints slightly worn

From the library of Beriah Botfield at Longleat, sale at Christie's, 13th June 2002, lot 109

Abbey Life 211

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

One of only 100 copies of this rare collection of engravings, considered by Abbey to be "one of the most important productions in the history of illustration that has ever appeared." Jacob Ploos van Amstel was an art dealer, connoisseur and engraver whose innovative method of reproducing artists' work remained the secret of his workshop during his lifetime and died with him in 1798. It was not until 1821, with publication having been delayed by the political and economic troubles afflicting the Netherlands, that his relative and apprentice Christian Josi finally succeeded in publishing the collection in London. The two volumes of plates are prefaced by a fascinating discussion of eighteenth-century collecting and collectors.