Evert van Muyden - Etched Work - 1894

THE SPLENDID BESTIARY OF VAN MUYDEN - NEW YORK EDITION OF ONLY 230 NUMBERED COPIES
These reproductions from 1894 of the engraved work by Evert van Muyden represent a perfect example of high-level artistic publishing between Europe and the United States. It is not a mere list, but a collectible object in itself: a limited edition, original engravings inserted in the volume, philological attention to the states of the prints. The book reflects a season in which graphic collecting becomes an autonomous discipline, and engraving returns to be celebrated as an independent art. The presence of original plates and technical variants makes it a fundamental document for understanding the taste and the market of the era.
MARKET VALUE
Illustrated catalogs from the late nineteenth century with original engravings and a limited edition are highly sought after. Standard copies are priced between 500 and 700 euros.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Green cloth hardcover. Limited edition of 230 copies, numbered copy (No. 5). Illustrated with an engraved portrait of the artist, original calcographic endpapers, and illustrated plates. Pages with some foxing and physiological browning; engravings well preserved and sharp. In old books with a multi-century history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. (2); 158; 2nn; (4).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Catalogue of the Etched Work of Evert van Muyden.
New York, Frederick Keppel & Co., 1894.
Atherton Curtis.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
At the end of the 19th century there develops a strong interest in graphic arts, supported by dealers, publishers, and collectors. Frederick Keppel & Co., among the leading promoters of engraving in the United States, publishes catalogues raisonnés that become essential tools for classifying and valuing works. This volume on Evert van Muyden, an engraver and illustrator of Swiss origin active in Europe, documents not only his works but also variants and states of the engravings, a crucial element for collecting. The catalog thus sits midway between a scientific repertory and an artistic object.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Atherton Curtis (1863–1943) was an American art historian and scholar specializing in engraving. He collaborated with Frederick Keppel & Co. and contributed to the diffusion and study of European graphics in the United States, producing catalogues raisonnés of great precision.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
Printed in New York in 1894 by Frederick Keppel & Co., the volume was produced in a limited edition (230 copies), intended for collectors and scholars. The inclusion of original engravings and variants makes each copy a semi-unique object, with material differences between copies.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Catalogues of Frederick Keppel & Co. (New York, late 19th century)
Catalogues raisonnés of European graphic art and engraving catalogs
Studies on Evert van Muyden and animal engraving
Biographical dictionaries of art historians (entry: Atherton Curtis)
ICCU/WorldCat for the 1894 edition