57 x 16th Century Engravings by Wierix (Family)

57 Full-page engravings by Wierix (Family)- Late 16th Century

MISSAL - CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRAYER BOOK - GRAINGERISED WITH 57 FULL-PAGE 16TH CENTURY ENGRAVINGS: [ Altar Book ] [ London: C. Whittingham for W. Pickering, 1844 ] .

A very good full leather Ecclesiastical binding. Folio. 35.5cm x 25cm x 4cm.  Red calf over thick boards. Simple bright gilt decoration to both boards. Spine with 5 raised bands. Compartments decorated with bright gilt crosses and title: "Missal". Inner gilt dentelles. Marbled endpapers. Text begins with; (B1) "The Collects, Epistles, and Gospels..." Contents include: "Collects...to be used throughout the year";  and "Holy Communion" (ending on  Cc1 v.)  In all there are 101 printed leaves in black letter (with black ornaments and red titles). Bound with 8 vellum  leaves with neat hand writing giving directions to the Priest for Holy Communion. Bound with 57 full page engravings by signed by: Hieronymus W;  Anton Wierx; Ioan Wierx; and Iohan Wierix .

In 1593 these illustrations were published in a volume entitled Evangelicae Historiae Imagines ("Illustrations of the Gospel Stories"), arranged in chronological order of the life and ministry of Jesus. In 1594 and 1595 they were again published in larger volumes, entitled Adnotationes et Meditationes in Evangelia ("Notes and Meditations on the Gospels"), with more extensive accompanying text, and rearranged according to the order of readings used in the liturgical year, as prescribed in the Roman Missal.

The Altar Book is referenced by: Bibliography of the Book of Common Prayer by D. N. Griffiths: 1888 No. 34 "...Genuinely black rubric; printed on Pouncy's hand-made paper with ornaments engraved by Mary Byfield after designs by J. A. Montagu..."  

The Wierix family, sometimes seen in alternative spellings such as Wiericx, or Wierx, were a Flemish dynasty of print makers in engraving in the 16th and early 17th centuries. They were active in Antwerp and Brussels. The first generation of engravers consisted of the three sons of the obscure painter Anton I Wierix: Jan (or Johannes) Wierix (1549 – c.1618); Hieronymus (or Jér?me) Wierix (1553–1619); Anton II (or Anthony II) Wierix (c.1552 – c.1604). Anton II's son, Anton III Wierix (1596–1624), completes the engraver members of the family, although his early death prevented him from producing a large oeuvre.   All were highly productive, with 2,333 prints catalogued between them, the largest number by Jan.  The group were known for their fine attention to detail and superb technique, but were not known for their originality in composition."  -  See Wikipedia