Mémoire de Velázquez sur quarante et un tableaux envoyés par Philippe IV à l'Escurial. Réimpression de l'exemplaire unique (1658) / Memoria de las pinturas, que la magestad cathólica del Rey nuestro Señor Don Philipe IV, embia al Monasterio de San Laurencio el Real del Escurial, este año de M.DC.LVI. descriptas, y colocadas, por Diego de Sylva Velazquez.

Auguste Aubry, Paris, 1874.

A STUNNING COPY of one of the founding texts of art criticism, Velazquez' comments on 41 paintings (by Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, etc.) sent by Philip IV of Spain to the Escorial.

Only one copy of the original edition of 1658 survives. This second edition was published in 1874, with both the original Spanish text and a French translation.

ONE OF ONLY 80 COPIES PRINTED ON FINE DUTCH LAID PAPER (an addition 26 copies were printed on other papers).

THE FRONTISPIECE IS AN ORIGINAL ETCHING BY MARIANO FORTUNY (1838-1874) AFTER A SELF-PORTRAIT BY VELAZQUEZ. Fortuny created an important corpus of about three dozen etchings, and this is his last; he executed it shortly before his premature death.

4to. Beautifully bound in late 19th-century quarter morocco and marbled board, with a gilt super-libros on the front cover. Original wraps bound in. Top edge gilt, other edges uncut. Original wraps bound in. Light wear to spine, else FINE AND BRIGHT. Vicaire VII, 986.

An outstanding copy of a fascinating and very rare book.