print;
frontispiece
- Museum number
- 1899,0420.70
- Title
- Object: Girard Thibault d'Anvers
- Description
-
Portrait of Gerard Thibault, bust turned to the left, head turned to face the viewer; with moustache and beard, wearing a big ruff, on a classical pedestal; within oval, set in a classical portico, set off with guirlandes and oakleaves, on top a prancing horse, being held down by two virtues, below his coat of arms, flanked by two virtues, and on each side a tile with geometrical emblems; after David Bailly; frontispiece to Gerard Thibault's book "Academie de l'Espée" (Isaac Elzevier; Leiden, 1628). c.1628
Engraving
- Production date
- 1628
- Dimensions
-
Height: 487 millimetres (trimmed)
-
Width: 346 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- This is the frontispiece to Girard Thibault's "Academie de l'espée de Girard Thibault d'Anvers OM se demonstrent par regles mathematiques sur le fondement d'un cercle; mysterieux la theorie et pratique des vrais e iustua present incognus secrets du maniement des armes a pied et a cheval", published in Leiden in 1630 by Isaac Elzevier. The book contained apart from the titlepage, nine plates of coats of arms, and 46 double page openings with the positions and ways of holding the fencing sword, signed by sixteen engravers. The book itself is not in the British Museum. For titlepage, see 1872,0608.511.
Despite its frontispiece, which lists the year 1628, the manual was not published until 1630, a year after Thibault's death.
"Academie de l'espée" is one of the few books in folio format printed by the Elzeviers. In the book, Thibault published his theories on the then relatively new Spanish school of fencing, and the book is acknowledged as one of the most profuse and artistically accomplished fencing books ever produced.
See for literature: H. de la Fontaine Verwey in 'Jaarboek Amstelodamum', LXIX 1977, pp.23-54 (English translation in 'Quarendo' VIII 1978, pp.283-319).
- Location
- Not on display
- Associated titles
Associated Title: Academie de l'espée de Girard Thibault d'Anvers OM se demonstrent par regles mathematiques sur le fondement d'un cercle; mysterieux la theorie et pratique des vrais e iustua present incognus secrets du maniement des armes a pied et a cheval (Isaac Elzevier, Leiden 1628)
- Acquisition date
- 1899
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1899,0420.70
