| Record ID | cp012860 |
| Voet reference number | 2413 |
| Museum Plantin-Moretus | c:lvd:1130473 |
| Author | Joannes (Juan) VALVERDA (VALVERDE) DE HAMUSCO |
| Title page transcription | [Engraved title-page; printed typographically within cut-out parts:] □ VIVAE ‖ IMAGINES ‖ PARTIVM ‖ CORPORIS ‖ HVMANI ‖ ÆREIS FORMIS ‖ EXPRESSÆ. ‖ [Fleuron] ‖ ANTVERPIÆ. ‡ EX OFFICINA CHRISTO- ‖ PHORI PLANTINI. ‖ M.D.LXVI. |
| Collation | Folio (265 × 180): A-S⁴, T⁶, a-f⁴; pages 1-153, [154-156], [1-48] (Errors: 23 for 32, 143 not numbered, 145 for 144) |
| Fingerprint | 156600 - # 1b1 A2 :$idq : # 1b2 T2 ur$ - # 2b1 a ar : # 2b2 f2 $ma |
| Number of sheets | |
| Pages | [1]: Title [2]: Blank [3-6]: Clarissimo prudentissimoq. senatui Antverpiano S.P. (Antwerp, 1 March 1566, signed by Christophorus Plantinus) [7]: Christophor. Plantinus artis medicae studiosis S. (italic type) [7]: Table [8]-153: Explicatio figurarum (text on two columns; parts in italic type, words in greek type): [154-156]: Blank [1-29]: Andreae Vesalii Bruxellensis, suorum de humani corporis fabrica librorum epitome (on two columns; italic type, marginals in roman type) [29]: Iacobi Grevini Claromontani Bell. medici Paris. partium corporis tum simplicium, tum compositarum brevis elucidatio lectori benevolo (italic type) [30-43]: Text (italic type, words and marginals in roman type) [44]: Partium omnium corporis differentiae per Iacobum Grevinum (= in form of a table) [45]: Privilege (Vienna, 21 February 1565, s. Haller) [46]: Privilege (Brussels, 28 January 1565 old style, s. De Langhe); Errata (word in greek type) [47-48]: Blank |
| Edition information | |
| Illustrations | Copper engravings: 1) Engraved title-page, with cut-out medallion (for title) and cut-out cartouche (for imprint): 251 × 165 2) 42 illustrations, c. 235 × 145, showing anatomical parts of the human body. The original copper plates still preserved in Museum Plantin-Moretus (but in their second state, as arranged for the Dutch 1568 edition). For more details see Notes |
| Copies | Museum Plantin-Moretus- A 1358Allard PiersonKBR Royal Library of BelgiumCambridgeGhent University LibraryBritish Library London- = C 112. f. 6 seems, however, to be a copy of the 1579 edition with a title-page of the 1566-publicationBiblioteca Nacional de EspañaOsler Library, McGill University, MontrealColumbia UL, New YorkNew York Academy of Medicine Library - New York (USA, N.Y.)Bibliothèque nationale de FranceMedical Center Library, University of California, San FranciscoHistorical Library, School of Medicine, Yale University- New Haven |
| Digital copies | Museum Plantin-Moretus: A 1358 |
| Bibliographical references | Rooses, M. Musée Plantin-Moretus, pages 63, 122, 157, 168 Bib. Belgica (1964–1970 éd.), V, pages 700-702 Cushing, page 151 Not in Ruelens-de BackerCockx-Indestege, E. Belgica typographica 4599 Adams V 233 |
| Online bibliographical references | STCV c:stcv:12927897USTC 404504 |
| Note 1 | Contains: a) 42 anatomical plates, each accompanied by a Latin description of the anatomical components of the human body as represented on the plates (pages 8-153); b) Andreas Vesalius, Suorum de humani corporis fabrica librorum epitome (pages [1-43]), with some additions by Jacobus Grevinus: a 'brevis elucidatio' on page [29], and a table 'Partium omnium corporis differentiae' on page [44]. |
| Note 2 | Valverda (whose name does not figure on the title-page of Plantin's edition, but who is cited in the typographer's dedicatory) published in Rome in 1556, 'Impressa por Antonio Salamanca, y Antonio Lafrerii', in Spanish, a Historia de la composicion del cuerpo humano, consisting of 42 copper engravings, with accompanying [Spanish] explanation. Of the 42 plates all but four were copied from Vesalius's Fabrica. The original plates include: Liber II, tabula 2 (page 33); Liber II, tabula 15 (page 69; addition of figures 20 and 22 [= eye]); Liber III, tabula 6 (page 99; addition of the sitting foetus at the bottom of the plate); and Liber V, tabula 4 [= error for Liber VI, tabula 1] (page 125). Valverda, in his foreword, affirms that it would have been easy to improve upon many of the Vesalian illustrations but that he refrained from altering them extensively to avoid the suspicion of envy or malice. In fact, however, he did change several figures, especially the skeletons, while his representations of the eye-muscles and of the muscles of nose and larynx constitute an improvement on Vesalius. Vesalius was not very pleased with Valverda's work, inveighing against his plagiarism and accusing him of never having dissected. Nevertheless, the publication of the Spanish physician met a certain success in Italy. The Spanish editio princeps of 1556 was quickly followed by an Italian translation in 1559 (published in Rome but printed in Venice; published with re-engraved date in 1560). A Latin translation was published in 1589. For these and the other Italian and Latin editions in Italy: cf. Cushing, pages 148-150. |
| Note 3 | Plantin's adaptation of Valverda's treatise is the first in Latin. He had the plates of Valverda copied, several being reversed (so that e.g. in Liber VI, plates 3 and 4, the spleen and the aorta are on the right), and he did translate the accompanying texts from Italian (= the Roman/Venetian edition of 1559) into Latin. But with some adaptations and changes, in which the text as given in the Latin editions of Vesalius's Epitome, more especially the Paris 1564-edition (see immediately below), was followed. This problem is detailed at great length in BB, V, pages 701-702. The translation (from Italian into Latin) was done by J. Thorins (or Thorius) who received a fee of 35 florins Carolus guilders in March 1566 (Arch. 4, folio 81). This translator may be identified with the Parisian physician J. Thorius, who acted as a kind of secretary to councillor 'de Pimpont' (see no. cp011412). |
| Note 4 | The second part of the Vivae imagines is formed by the text of Vesalius, Suorum de humani corporis fabrica librorum epitome (= Epitome). The first edition was published in Basel, 1543. An illustrated version with 40 copperplates engraved by Thomas Geminus was issued in London in 1545 (BB, V, pages 698-699; Cushing, pages 126-128). In 1560 Andreas Wechel in Paris reprinted in an unillustrated edition the text of the Epitome, following very likely the Basel 1543-publication (cf. BB, V, pages 699-700; Cushing, page 117). Four years later, in 1564, he brought on the market an illustrated version: Anatomes totius, aere insculpta delineatio, cui addita est Epitome innumeris mendis repurgata, quam de corporis humani fabrica conscripsit clariss. And. Vesalius: Eique accessit partium corporis tum simplicium tum compositarum brevis elucidatio, per Iacobum Grevinum Claromontanum Bellovacum, medicum Paris[iensem]. (BB, V, page 700; Cushing, pages 128-129); in fact a reprint of the London 1545 edition, with the original Geminus-copperplates acquired by Wechel, but the text of the Epitome itself revised and interspersed with comments by Jacobus Grevinus (Grévin). It is this text of the Epitome, with some of Grévin's comments, which Plantin followed for his edition. |
| Note 5 | In the dedicatory to the Antwerp magistrate and in the note to the medical students, Plantin gives some interesting details on the genesis of his publication. He tells how he started having the plates of Valverda's 'Anatomen' copied in copper, when calamity befell on his family (= accused of printing an heretical work the typographer had to leave Antwerp in 1562-63). On his return he could, however, acquire again the plates, had the remaining ones engraved, and the 'indices' (= the descriptions accompanying the plates) translated from Italian into Latin (meaning thus that Plantin for his publication followed the Italian edition of Valverda, Rome--Venice, 1559). However, without saying it with as many words, Plantin got a shock when Wechel put his own illustrated Epitome of Vesalius on the market in 1564. His explanation is not very clear at this point, but he seems to imply that he got the permission from Wechel to reproduce the 1564 Parisian text of the Epitome and that he could obtain the assistance of J. Grevinus to arrange and re-arrange the Latin descriptions accompanying the plates (which are in fact a combination of the descriptions as given in Valverda's 1559 edition and the 1564 Parisian Vesalius: cf. BB, V, pages 701-702; L. Elaut, 'Het kommentaar van Jacques Grévin op Vesalius' tekst in de Plantin-uitgaven van het "Epitome" ' in De Gulden Passer, 40, 1962, pages 96-104). In the dedicatory to the Antwerp magistrate, Plantin makes also in passing a remark on the Dutch dictionary he was preparing (the Thesaurus Theutonicae Linguae, which, however, was only finished seven years later, in 1573). |
| Note 6 | Plantin, thus, in his dedicatory, affirms to have started the project as early as 1561-62. He had then already some copperplates engraved, which went astray at the time of the 'calamity' (= being sold at the auction of his belongings on 28 April 1562), but were finally acquired again some time later. The story is confirmed by the Plantinian archives. The number of the in 1562 already finished plates was limited: only 'three copperplates of Anathomia' are noted in the auction's catalogue; they were sold for 12 florins Carolus guilders 15 stuivers (Arch. 27, folio 15r-vo). They were bought back from Plantin's Antwerp colleague, Willem Silvius, at 12 florins Carolus guilders a piece (Arch. 3, folio 17v; on the date of 14 September 1564: 'i'ay retiré 3 desd. planches de Sylvius qui les avoit prinses sur soy en partie et partie achaptées à la vendue de mes biens, pource ie les mets pour autres 11 florins Carolus guilders pièce combien qu'ils en ayent cousté 12 florins Carolus guilders pièce [meaning that Plantin acquired the three plates at 12 florins Carolus guilders a piece, but noted them down at 11 florins Carolus guilders a piece, being the price of the other anatomical plates delivered by P. Huys]: 33 florins Carolus guilders'). |
| Note 7 | The making of the remaining anatomical plates and of the title-page was time-consuming. The engraving was entrusted to Pieter Huys, who for some of the plates was aided by his brother Frans Huys. For the anatomical plates they copied the illustrations of Valverda's Rome-Venice edition of 1559. The title-page was engraved after a design by the Antwerp painter, Lambert van Noort. The cost-accounting note in Arch. 4, folio 81, summarizes the work of the brothers Huys as follows. The payments are noted: in one entry '1564-1565, 18 April': '22 planches taillées en cuivre à Pierre Huys et Frans Huys'. Then: on 3 June [1565]: 2 plates to Pierre Huys; on 16 June [1565]: 4 plates to Pierre Huys; 17 September [1565]: 9 plates [not noted to whom the sum was paid]; 11 December [1565]: 3 plates [idem]; 'Mis à compte le 23 Janvier [1566]: pour encores 2 planches qui sont les dernières de 42'. Finally at an unspecified date: 'Item le chappiteau du commencement [= title-page] '. For each of the anatomical plates was paid 11 florins Carolus guilders, i.e. for the 42 plates 462 florins Carolus guilders; the title-page is entered for 12 florins Carolus guilders; together for all the copperplates: 474 florins Carolus guilders This poses a problem: the total number of anatomical plates in Plantin's 1566-edition amount to 42. The three, already realized before 1562, the typographer had been able to buy back: the Huys brothers had thus only to make 39 plates-but in fact they supplied the full number of 42. This seems to imply that Plantin finally did not use the three earlier plates he had been able to purchase from Silvius, but preferred to have the whole lot executed by the Huys brothers - very likely for the sake of unity. The delivery of the plates is also noted in chronological order in Arch. 3 - at least partly: only 28 plates, including the title-page, are accounted for, but for the title-page is this time explicitly noted the name of the draughtsman, who made the model for the engraver: folios 17v (14 September 1564: 'J'ay receu de Pierre Huys à diverses fois 7 planches de cuivre des figueres de Anatomie'), 23r (10 April 1565: 'J'ay payé a diverses fois à Pierre Huys pour 11 figures de l'Anatomie taillées en cuivre'), 29v (3 June 1565: from P. Huys 2 plates), 34r (31 August 1565: from P. Huys 6 plates), 36r (6 October 1565: from P. Huys 3 plates), 44r (5 February 1566: 'Le chapiteau d'Anatomie [= title-page]: J'ay payé à Maistre Lambert Van Noort pour le pourtraict dud[ict] chappiteau: 3 florins Carolus guilders 10 stuivers A Pierre Huys pour la taille 11 florins Carolus guilders'). Cf. also Arch. 31, folio 63v (payments to Pierre Huys in chronological order; the entries, however, are not always very explicit). |
| Note 8 | The illustrations were not only made, but also printed by Huys. The edition amounted to 600 copies, each containing 43 plates, i.e. 25,800 illustrations. P. Huys received for the operation, executed in two times, 132 florins Carolus guilders The entry in Arch. 4, folio 81, is somewhat confusing. Plantin did make some mistakes in figuring the number of illustrations, and his account implies that two illustrations were counted as one. On the date of 17 March 1566 he notes 'pour l'impression des figures de 200 exemplaires qui sont 4500 figures en tout à 20 stuivers le cent et est compté chaicun cent de livres pour 2200 figures qui est 22 florins Carolus guilders le cent: 44 florins Carolus guilders'; and at the end 'A Pierre Huys pour l'impression des figures des autres 400 exemplaires payé florins Carolus guilders 88'. |
| Note 9 | The cost-accounting note in Arch. 4, folio 81, gives the following details about 'Anatomes figurae': the making and printing of the copperplates have already been detailed above. Pieter Huys was paid from 1564 until 5 February 1566 for engraving the 43 plates 474 florins Carolus guilders For printing the illustration of 600 copies he received 132 florins Carolus guilders (44 florins Carolus guilders for 200 copies on 17 March 1566; 88 florins Carolus guilders for 400 copies at an unspecified date). In all for the illustrations 606 florins Carolus guilders The wages for composing and printing the letterpress-text are entered from 1 February until 2 March 1566 and amount to 45 florins Carolus guilders 8 stuivers As 600 copies were printed and each copy contains 25½ sheets, 32 reams of paper 'double double' were used, which, at 3 florins Carolus guilders per ream, came to 96 florins Carolus guilders As additional expenses are noted: 12 florins Carolus guilders 'pour les exemplaires ou livres imprimés à Rome 3 copies', i.e. for 3 copies of the Roman Valverda edition (of 1559), used as model by P. Huys and by Plantin's compositors; and 35 florins Carolus guilders 'A M.J. Thorins (or Thorius) pour la traduction des explic[ations] '. In all 794 florins Carolus guilders 8 stuivers Plantin forgot, however, to note the 3 florins Carolus guilders 10 stuivers he paid to Lambert van Noort for the drawing of the title-page and the 36 florins Carolus guilders for the three plates purchased from Silvius. About the cost-accounting of the edition, cf. also L. Voet, The Golden Compasses, II, page 384. |
| Note 10 | The sales for 1566, 1567, and 1568 are detailed in L. Voet, The Golden Compasses, II, pages 523-525 (compiled from the journals of 1566 [Arch. 44], 1567 [Arch. 45], and 1568 [Arch. 46]). The first copy was sold on 27 March 1566. In all, the sale of 352 copies could be traced, bringing in 880 florins Carolus guilders, at an average price per copy of 2 florins Carolus guilders 10 stuivers: 172 copies in 1566, 122 in 1567, 58 in 1568. Of these 352 copies 127 were sold in the Netherlands, 53 in Germany, 129 in France, 30 in England, 4 in Italy, 9 in the Iberian Peninsula. Cf. also L. Voet, op. cit., II, page 441, n. 1. |
| Note 11 | The draft of Plantin's dedicatory to the Antwerp magistrate is in Arch. 7, folio 73 bis. |
| Note 12 | The elegant title-page designed by Lambert van Noort is reproduced in L. Voet, The Golden Compasses, II, plate 33, facing page 208 (where erroneously is stated that the medallion and cartouche were only later excised), together with a copperplate of one of the illustrations (plate 43: facing page 209). The title-page has been imitated in the Valverda-edition of Cornelis Danckertz, Amsterdam, 1647, and in a Japanese work on anatomy, c. 1784: cf. M. Sabbe, 'Lotgevallen van de titelprent der Plantijnsche Vesalius-uitgave' in De Gulden Passer, 14, 1936, pages 127-128 (with illustrations). |
| Note 13 | Listed in M 296, folio 1r (Anatomes tabulae in ȩre excisis figuris, f[euilles] 25, [price:] stuivers 50), and M 164, folio 1r. |
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