Jean Cousin - La vraie science de la portraiture - 1676
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Jean Cousin the Younger’s La vraye science de la pourtraicture descrite et demonstrée is a leather bound 1676 illustrated manual with 36 full‑page plates teaching proportion for figure drawing.
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Description from the seller
A scarce and highly influential 17th-century artist’s anatomy and drawing manual by Jean Cousin the Younger (ca. 1522–1595). This celebrated work teaches the scientific principles of human proportion for artistic purposes.
Originally intended for painters, sculptors, architects, goldsmiths, embroiderers and cabinetmakers. The author follows Vitruvian theory, offering a practical system for representing the human body in correct proportions and in a variety of movements and perspectives.
Complete with all 36 full-page woodcut plates
Strong impressions with excellent detail
Depicting:
men, women and children
front view, profile, and back view
foreshortening and proportional measurements
These plates are highly valuable and frequently sought after by collectors of early art instruction works.
Bibliographic details
Author: Jean Cousin (the Younger)
Title: La vraye science de la pourtraicture descrite et demonstrée
Publisher/Printer: Guillaume Le Bé
Place: Paris
Year: 1676
Language: French
Format: Oblong small folio
Size: 18 × 25 cm
Collation: Complete set of 36 plates
This copy contains a total of 37 leaves:
1 unnumbered letterpress title leaf + 36 full-page woodcut plates (all unnumbered and complete).
There is no page numbering, as issued for this type of plate book.
A scarce and highly influential 17th-century artist’s anatomy and drawing manual by Jean Cousin the Younger (ca. 1522–1595). This celebrated work teaches the scientific principles of human proportion for artistic purposes.
Originally intended for painters, sculptors, architects, goldsmiths, embroiderers and cabinetmakers. The author follows Vitruvian theory, offering a practical system for representing the human body in correct proportions and in a variety of movements and perspectives.
Complete with all 36 full-page woodcut plates
Strong impressions with excellent detail
Depicting:
men, women and children
front view, profile, and back view
foreshortening and proportional measurements
These plates are highly valuable and frequently sought after by collectors of early art instruction works.
Bibliographic details
Author: Jean Cousin (the Younger)
Title: La vraye science de la pourtraicture descrite et demonstrée
Publisher/Printer: Guillaume Le Bé
Place: Paris
Year: 1676
Language: French
Format: Oblong small folio
Size: 18 × 25 cm
Collation: Complete set of 36 plates
This copy contains a total of 37 leaves:
1 unnumbered letterpress title leaf + 36 full-page woodcut plates (all unnumbered and complete).
There is no page numbering, as issued for this type of plate book.
Details
Number of Books
1
Subject
Art history, Medicine
Book Title
La vraie science de la portraiture
Author/ Illustrator
Jean Cousin
Condition
Very good
Publication year oldest item
1676
Height
25 cm
Edition
Illustrated Edition
Width
18 cm
Language
French
Original language
Yes
Publisher
Guillaume Le Bé
Binding/ Material
Leather
Number of pages
37
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