Origen y dignidad de la caça.

Juan MATEOS (Author)

Francisco Martínez (Printer)

Origin: Madrid, XVII c.
Biblioteca Nacional de España.

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ISBN 13:
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R/29683
Facsimile. Old Books. Collection of Incunabula and Old Books.

978-84-87988-88-2
4º
15 x 21 cm.
137+3 crd.
274+6 crd.
Spanish.
1634.
22nd January 2008.
3000+80+50+30
Parchment on wooden board.
Hunting.
Presentation dust jacket cloth lined with gold engraved leather spine containing facsimile.
Numbered by notary and signed by the printer-publisher.
Specially made laid paper.
Optional: Study in Spanish: author yet to be determined. Included in Bibliofilia Antigua XII.
To highlight, three folded copper engraved prints and an architectural title page. Ornate xylographic initials. The author dedicates the work to the Conde Duque de (Count-Duke of) Olivares.

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Synopsis:

About the origin of hunting, the author of this work, Juan Mateos, tells us, he was a principal king's crossbow soldier. In his prologue  “Al letor”, "que el exercicio Real de la Caça se originó de la defensa que forzosamente los hombres hazian contra las fieras, por la guarda de sus ganados, cuyos robos fueron causa de sus muertes" (Royal exercise of hunting was originated in order to defend men against the wild beasts and to protect their cattle, whose theft was the cause of their deaths)  and  "La Dignidad deste noble exercicio se conoce fácilmente por ser propia acción de Reyes, y Principes, y el Maestro mas docto que puede enseñar mejor el Arte militar teorica y practicamente" (the dignity of this noble exercise is an activity for kings, princes and the most prepared teacher who can best teach the military art, in both theory and practice). This work is dedicated to the Count Duke de Olivares.

The work is illustrated with three traced folded engravings and it is worth to mention the beauty of the title page. It is architectural, equally brass engraving, including the author's portrait. There are rich initials and a beautiful final ornament when the Table of chapters is concluded.

Antonio Sancho Dávila y Toledo, marqués de Velada wrote, approving it: "El tratado es maestro de exercicio Real, y robusto, vtil para todos, no facil; y en esta leccion entretenido con decoro, ilustrado con sucessos asistidos de Magestad incomparable: el Autor merece alabança, el libro licencia para que la impression le comunique..." (the study is a perfect royal and robust master book, useful to everybody, not an easy one; the author deserves praise and the book deserves a license for the printing to communicate it...).

Francisco Martínez is without a doubt, one of the main printers of Madrid in the XVII century, active between 1627 and 1645, but we do not know anything else about him. His life (known) are his printings, amongst them the variety of themes and the richness and beauty of the title page, the initials and the bullets, however the typographic quality is not regular.

IBIC Rating:

AC History of art / art & design styles
ACQ History of art & design styles: c 1600 to c 1800
AFF Drawing & drawings
AFH Prints & printmaking
AFJ Other graphic art forms
AFT Decorative arts
DNF Literary essays
DSBD Literary studies: c 1500 to c 1800
HBJD European history
HBLH Early modern history: c 1450/1500 to c 1700
WCS Antiques & collectables: books, manuscripts, ephemera & printed matter
WSX Field sports: fishing, hunting, shooting
WSXH Hunting or shooting animals & game

1D Europe
1DSE Spain
1DSEM Madrid, Autonomous Community
2ADS Spanish
3JD c 1600 to c 1700