Raphael

Raphael's Hours" Hours of the Day and Night

réf. 468730 — New York no date. Hardcover. Good. Portfolio 11 ½" x 14 ½". Contains thirteen loose plates: one mounted letterpress plate: "Key to Raphael's Hours" and 12 mounted sepia toned reproductive photographs of the famous set of 12 allegorical engravings circa 1803-06 after Raphael's Six Hours of the Day and Six Hours of the Night. The portfolio is bound in contemporary red cloth over beveled boards title lettered in gold on spine interior silk moire endpapers and flaps. Wear and dust soiling to the edges of the boards a few small tears and fraying to the flaps the letterpress plate is moderately toned good overall with all 12 photographic plates in very good condition. As noted by printmaker James Brust: "The twelve images represent the first six phases of the day and night respectively. Each has an allegorical figure of a beautiful woman draped in a gown and holding an object or animal floating gracefully across a dark background. A narrow strip along the bottom of each plate shows various animals with symbolic meaning also against a dark background." An attractive scarce set of 12 sepia toned photographs 5 ¾" x 8 ¾" mounted on thick cardboard plates 11" x 14". OCLC records three copies of only one similar portfolio published in New York by "Stroefer & Kirchner 1870s.". hardcover