Lot 1078
1078
ANATOMY -- COWPER, G. Anatomia corporum humanorum. Acced. eiusdem introd. in oeconomiam animalium, et nunc primum supplementum ad appendicem latinitate donata. Cur. G. Dundass. Hanc novam & multo auct. ed. (…) cur. R. Schomberg. Utrecht, N. Muntendam, 1750. W. tog. (70) text lvs., engr. front., engr. ti.-vign. and 123 engr. on 118 sheets - some folding - for the greater part after drawings by G. de Lairesse. Lge-fol. Cont. h. vellum, uncut. (Sides a bit worn/dam., some minor staining in places, espec. in upper (blank) margin, but a v.g. copy).
The plates in this atlas have a controversial history as they were originally engraved in the 17th c. for Govard Bidloo (1649-1713), a Dutch physician and anatomist, by G. de Lairesse (1640-1711), but were reused for the forerunner of this atlas by William Cowper (1666-1709). He published these - without Bidloo's consent - along with a new text, under a new title and under his own name in 1698. His own contribution to the illustrated program consisted only of nine additional plates on myology, which he had drawn by Henry Cook (1642–1700) and engraved by Michiel van der Gucht (1660–1725). This action resulted in a bitter plagiarism dispute between Bidloo and Cowper, one of the most famous in medical history. - Complete copy and printed on fine thick handmade paper. NB There was never a quire B, but quire A consists of 2 lvs. (A and A2). Second edition in Latin. Fabric of the body, p. 111: "(…) many of the Bidloo plates must take their place amongst the canon of great anatomical illustrations, (…)"; Choulant 253; G-M 385.1.€ 3000
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