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Holbein, Hans : THE DANCES OF DEATH, through the Various Stages of Human Life. Etched by D. Deuchar, F.A.S

S. Gosnell, London, 1803

Sm. 4to., contemporary paneled calf with blind decorated sides and spine, which has been rebacked much earlier; red morocco label, all edges stained red. Occasional foxing, mainly to the beginning and end; a handsome, well-printed copy.The 46 Dance of Death plates are within separately engraved borders in four different designs, three of which are copied with slight variations from the Diepenbeke borders to W. Hollar's plates. As to the plates themselves, 30 are copies from Hollar's designs, the rest are from the spurious editions of Holbein's cuts, with variations. The last plate, not mentioned by Douce as being in this work, and often lacking, is a design by De Mechel called, "Petite Danse de Morts," which was originally engraved on the sheath of a poignard, after drawings by Holbein.The work was first published in Edinburgh in 1788. According to Aldred Warthin, "The paper used in the Edinburgh edition is extremely poor, which may account for the poor impressions of the plates. Two other editions of Deuchar were printed by S. Gosnell, London, in 1803 [one WITH and one WITHOUT the Diepenbeke borders]. The prints in these London editions are much better than those of the Edinburgh, and a better quality of paper is used." It would appear that Warthin did not know that there were two editions of 1803 printed for Scott by two different printers, S. Gosnell, and W. Smith & Co.See: Warthin, Aldred S. The Physician of the Dance of Death. pp. 79-80. Douce, Francis. The Dance of Death. pp. 135-36. Minns Collection. AAA Catalogue, 1922. No. 268 ["Large, uncut copy of this rare edition of Deuchar's plates. Printed on heavier paper than the first edition, and with very fine impressions of the plates."].

PLATES WITH THE DECORATIVE BORDERS

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