Folio, (400 x 288 mm). 67 ff., and 15 folding etchings by Nikolaus Solis (one 151,5 cm long, 14 double-page size), all in fine contemporary colouring, some woodcut initials and ornamental tailpieces; title with woodcut coat-of-arms of Bavaria and Lorraine. 19th century half vellum and marbled paper over cardboard, large green leather label with gilt title on upper cover, manuscript title on spine. A tall copy with wide margins, very well preserved, a few tears skillfully repaired, leaves 18-43with faint waterstain in outer margin, slight offsetting from black margins of the plates as usual.

This is one of the special copies where each plate is strikingly bordered in black and is fully coloured by a contemporary 16th century hand. Copies were issued by the publisher with the engravings in black and white. Many copies did not contain the full complement of plates. Less than five copies containing the large folding plate at the beginning are known to survive.

Wagner's Kurtze is so rare that the notion of finding a comparable copy, with the plates in colour, and with the plates in such a fine state of preservation, is unlikely in the extreme. "C'est un des plus rares, et l'un de ceux qui peuvent le mieux servir à vous donner l'idée des coutumes et des plaisirs de Allemagne princière au XVIe Siècle" (Vinet 705). "L'un des plus curieux ouvrages, des plus rares et des plus précieux que nous connaissions du seizième siècle, en matiere de fete" (Ruggieri quoting in 1873 from Cicognara, who published his assertion in 1821).

The volume begins with a title containing a large woodcut coat-of-arms of Bavaria and Lorraine with contemporary hand-colouring, then fifteen splendid folding plates designed by Nicolas Solis, the son of Virgil Solis. Most contain Solis' monogram.

The marriage celebrated by this illustrated fête book took place at Munich in February of 1568 and the attendant festivities as recorded in the colour-plates include: the reception of the bride, the wedding ceremonies, dances, banquets, a horse ballet, several jousting tournaments in the town square and public festivities. Especially notable are the elaborate interior decorations of the rooms and the costumes of the guests, as well as the architecture in the town square depicting the surrounding buildings including the landmark "Frauenkirche" in Munich. The wedding left a lasting impression in the history of Munich, memorialized to this day at 11:00AM daily by the "Glockenspiel" in the tower of the Munich City Hall.

Wilhelm (1548-1626), son of Albert V of Bavaria from the Wittelsbach family, became Duke of Bavaria in 1579. Renée (1544-1602) was the daughter of Francis I, Duke of Lorraine and Christina, Princess of Denmark. Later their son Maximilian was to be the first prince-elector of Bavaria. The marriage ceremony took place on 21 February 1568 in the Munich Frauenkirche (‘Cathedral of Our Dear Lady’).

The celebrations were continued for more than two weeks, until 10 March. Knight’s tournaments, dances, theatre performances and banquets were held; there were sleigh rides, fireworks, masquerades and especially composed music (amongst others, two motets by Orlando di Lasso). The market square in front of the house of the estates of the realm (today Marienplatz) was arranged as a tournament arena. The wedding and those tournaments left a long lasting impression in thehistory of Munich and are remembered every day at 11:00 am through the“Glockenspiel” in the tower of the Munich City Hall.

The book was a commission of Duke Albert of Bavaria to Hanns Wagner, his ‘Cantzleyverwonten’, it is thus the ‘official’ account of the festival. Two further descriptions of the events appeared in the same year: Massimo Troiano’s Discorsi delli triomfi, an Italian poem that was also translated into Spanish, and Heinrich Wirre’s Ordenliche Beschreybung der Fürstlichen Hochzeyt, which was published in Augsburg.

Full title: Kurtze doch gegründte beschreibung des Durchleuchtigen Fürsten Wilhalmen Pfaltzgraven bey Rhein Hertzogen inn Obern und Nidern Bairen Und derselben geliebsten Gemahel der Fürstin Renata gebornne Hertzogin zu Lottringen gehalten Hochzeitlichen Ehren Fests. Auch welcher gestalt die darauff geladnen Potentaten und Fürsten Personlich oder durch ire abgesandte Potschafft enerschinen. Und dann was für Herrliche Ritterspil zu Ross und Fuess mit Thurnieren Rennen und Stechen. Neben andern vil ehrlichen kurtzweilen mit grossen freuden Triumph und kostlichkait in der Fürstlichen Haubtstat München gehalten worden sein den zwenundzwaintzigisten und nachvolgende tag Februarii Im 1568 Jar. ]

The illustration was assigned to Nikolaus Solis (ca. 1542-84), part of a family of artists and engravers; his father was the artist and prolific printmaker and book-illustrator Virgil Solis the elder. These 15 plates are considered his most important series of engravings. Beyond his artistic aims Solis intended faithful depictions of the festivities with all their cultural and historical details such as habits, costumes and interior decorations. The lively scenes comprise the large procession to meet and escort the bride (printed from three plates), the wedding ceremonies in the Frauenkirche, the large banquet in the Munich Palace, the wedding dance in the town hall, a masquerade (“Mummerei”), and several tournaments (“Ringrennen”, “Fußturnier”, “Turnier über die Planken”, “Kübelstechen”, “Freies Turnier”, “Scharfrennen”, “Kröndlstechen”) on the market square.

Provenance: Court Library at Donaueschingen, small stamps on title “G[eschichte] Bayern” and verso “F[ürstlich] F[ürstenbergsche] Bibliothek Donaueschingen”.

Cicognara 1380 (“un des plus précieux que je connaisse”); Vinet no. 705 (“les quinze gravures fort instructives pour l’histoire du costume“) ; Lipperheide no. Sbc 2 and 3.
Andresen ii, p. 90, 31-45 ; Le Blanc III, p. 551, 31-45 ; Nagler XVII, p. 42, 23- 37 ; Thieme/Becker XXXI, p. 247f; Goedeke II, p. 326, 5 ; Graesse VII, p. 409.