I. Renaissance typography

Antonius Meyerus. Comites Flandriae, sive Epitome rerum Flandricarum. – Anvers: Christophe Plantin pour Joannes Steelsius, 1555. In-8.

The abridged version in rhyme by Antoine Meyerus on the long history of the counts of Flanders, edited by his uncle Jacobus, was one of the first works printed in Latin by Christophe Plantin, in this instance for Joannes Steelsius, the highly productive Antwerp publisher active from 1533 to 1562.

   The typography follows contemporary and customary models for poetry: a small italic typeface and a small roman for the marginal notes. For the first time, Plantin used two decorated initials, ‘C’ and ‘M’, to help the reader navigate the text. The initials passed into hands of other typographers in April 1562 when the possessions of Plantin, exiled for heresy, were sold at auction.

   The headpiece with dog heads, on the other hand, is innovative and announces new ways to mark the beginning of texts:  from now on, one resorts less often to letter games than to woodcut ornaments.

Mazarine: 8° 21394