Peralta Barnuevo, Pedro de
Historia de España vindicada, 1730. Lima. Francisco Sobrino.
One of the most beautifully printed books of South America in the 18th century; the first of its king regarding illustration
First edition, one of the finest illustrated works to have been issued by South American presses in the 18th century, a fine and complete copy preserving the 24 full-page plates, composed by a Peruvian humanist intellectual, writer, poet and historian. The Historia is the most profusely illustrated single book published in South America in the 18th century, containing 24 full page plates of Spanish Kings of antiquity and a fine engraved frontispiece.
First edition, one of the finest illustrated works to have been issued by South American presses in the 18th century, a fine and complete copy preserving the 24 full-page plates, composed by a Peruvian humanist intellectual, writer, poet and historian. The Historia is the most profusely illustrated single book published in South America in the 18th century, containing 24 full page plates of Spanish Kings of antiquity and a fine engraved frontispiece.
Further images
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 1
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 2
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 3
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 4
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 5
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 6
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 7
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 8
)
Folio, (290 x 190 mm). 37 ff., 1644 columns, 24 plates, all full page. 19th full mottled calf with some restoration, interlacing gilt frame to boards, spine flat, tooled in gilt, dark lettering piece, light rubbing to gilt on spine and minor shelf-wear to edges, traces of bookplate removal on pastedown, small hole to title-page not affecting text, light soiling and thumbing throughout, scattered foxing, fine overall.
Each plate portrays a Spanish king, set within an ornamental framelavishly executed, sadly unsigned, however clearly by a skilled (and likely local) artist. Medina, in a very extensive note, refers to Father Irisarri´s note, calling it “Obra perfecta” and later assesses it is the most considerable document ever made during the Spanish colony: “sin duda alguna, si no el documento mas considerable de la tipografia peruana durante la epoca de la dominacion española, por lo menos el primero en cuanto a las laminas que lo adornan”. Although unsigned, the authorship of the plates is attributed to Gacitua (Medina). It is hard to overstate the beauty and importance of this edition to the history of printing in colonial South America.
Peralta y Barnuevo (1664 – 1743) was a Peruvian-born intellectual, writer, historian, poet, astronomer, cartographer, and humanist, possibly the most outstanding figure of 18th Lima; amongst his peers, recognized as a living encyclopedia. He studied at the University of San Marcos, later becoming its Rector (1715), taught the principles of navigation to pilots, determined the location of Cartagena and Habana, studied the comet of 1702, became Cosmographer to the Kingdom of Peru, and wrote over a dozen works.
Provenance: spine lettered in gilt “Libreria de Cueto Hermanos”; private collection of Nicholas Ingleton.
Medina, Lima 854; Palau, 218086; Sabin 60849.
Each plate portrays a Spanish king, set within an ornamental framelavishly executed, sadly unsigned, however clearly by a skilled (and likely local) artist. Medina, in a very extensive note, refers to Father Irisarri´s note, calling it “Obra perfecta” and later assesses it is the most considerable document ever made during the Spanish colony: “sin duda alguna, si no el documento mas considerable de la tipografia peruana durante la epoca de la dominacion española, por lo menos el primero en cuanto a las laminas que lo adornan”. Although unsigned, the authorship of the plates is attributed to Gacitua (Medina). It is hard to overstate the beauty and importance of this edition to the history of printing in colonial South America.
Peralta y Barnuevo (1664 – 1743) was a Peruvian-born intellectual, writer, historian, poet, astronomer, cartographer, and humanist, possibly the most outstanding figure of 18th Lima; amongst his peers, recognized as a living encyclopedia. He studied at the University of San Marcos, later becoming its Rector (1715), taught the principles of navigation to pilots, determined the location of Cartagena and Habana, studied the comet of 1702, became Cosmographer to the Kingdom of Peru, and wrote over a dozen works.
Provenance: spine lettered in gilt “Libreria de Cueto Hermanos”; private collection of Nicholas Ingleton.
Medina, Lima 854; Palau, 218086; Sabin 60849.
Join our mailing list
* denotes required fields
We will process the personal data you have supplied to communicate with you in accordance with our Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe or change your preferences at any time by clicking the link in our emails.