[CHOVIN (Jacques-Antony) - [DANSE des MORTS]] - Lot 57

[CHOVIN (Jacques-Antony) - [DANSE des MORTS]] La danse des morts, comme elle est dépeinte dans la louable et célèbre ville de Basle, pour servir d'un miroir de la nature humaine. Drawn and engraved on the original by the late Mr. Matthieu Merian. Added a description of the city of Basle & verses to each figure. (Title in German): Todten-Tanz, wie serselbe in der löbl. U. Welt-berühmten Stadt Basel, als ein Spiegel menschlicher Beschaffenheit künstlich gemahlet und zu sehen ist. Nach dem Original in Kupfer gebracht nebst einer Beschreibung von der Stadt Basel. Basle, Rod. Im-Hof & fils, 1789 (with the engraved title of the 1744 edition). In-4: 190pp; engraved title and 43 mid-page copper-engraved figures by Jacques Antony CHOVIN after those by Merian. Text in French and German. Some minor soiling here and there. Nineteenth-century fawn Basane, spine ribbed and decorated, period pastiche, small lack at head, one bit cracked, Basle's first edition in German and French, with engravings by J.A. Chovin; this edition can be considered very comparable to the real Merian editions. With the famous "double face" portrait, in which the face is transformed into a skull. Each plate is accompanied by a dialogue between the dead person and the person concerned (Pope, Emperor, King, Queen, Count, Magistrate, Merchant, Cripple, Hermit, etc.). A beautiful, richly illustrated work, reprinted several times since its first publication in 1649.