Paris, François Langlois, 1646.

Illustrated with 42 superb copper-engraved plates and with a fine extra title (engraved by Karl Audran after Simon Vouet), containing a portrait of the dedicatee, Cardinal Mazarin.
FIRST LATIN EDITION of one of the most influential 17th century works on optics and perspective! This augmented Latin translation contains the first 2 books of Jean François Nicéron's La perspective curieuse, first printed in French in 1638. Only the first part of this monumental work was completed, because of the early death of the author in 1646 at the age of 33.
The work treats on the geometric principles of optics, on perspective and its use in drawing, on anamorphosis, lenses, mirrors, etc. "Sympathetic to natural magic, still current in his time, he tended to view optics as an art of illusion, rather than the science of light."-DSB.

Folio (358 mm x 225 mm). Bound in 17th century half-calf over marbled boards, flat spine titled in gilt (now partly rubbed off); all edges rouged.

Pagination: [32], 222, [2 (blank)] pp.

Illustrated with 42 leaves of plates, as well as added engraved title-page by Karl Audran after Simon Vouet, numerous woodcut decorative head- and tail-pieces and initials. Most plates do not carry a draughtsman's signature, but three are signed as drawn by I.F. Niceron (23, 27, 29), and two are signed as engraved by I. Blanchin (3, 18).

Complete, including both printed and engraved titles, sub-title, and the final blank. (Without the engraved portrait of Nicéron, which is sometimes found inserted in copies of this book, but does not appear to be called for and might be a latter addition. The Honeyman copy did not have the portrait either.)

Includes Dedication to Cardinal Mazarin dated May 1646. Extraict du Privilege du Roy is dated 2 Aug.1646. Bibliography of works used (Catalogus authorum) at the end (pp. 219-220), as well as Directions to the binder (pp.221-222).

Very Good. Binding slightly rubbed, edge-worn; short cracks at head and foot of rear joint, but joints solid, boards firmly attached. A small, mostly effaced oval stamp to bottom margin of engraved title. Light browning or spotting to some leaves, occasional light (rather harmless) damp-staining. Very minor warming at top of the gutter to several leaves at the end of the volume. Else, very nice, clean, tall, unsophisticated copy.

Cicognara, 850; Graesse IV, 667; Caillet 7973; Honeyman sale 2337; Brit. Opt. Ass. cat. I, p.153.

In this richly illustrated manual on perspective Jean Francois Niceron (1613-1646) reveals the secrets of anamorphosis and trompe l'oeil. Niceron concentrated primarily on the practical applications of perspective, catoptrics, and dioptrics, and on the illusory effects of optics, then traditionally associated with natural magic. This Latin edition contains extended versions of Books I and II (of the four) of his La perspective curieuse (1638), with the addition of Scenographum Catholicum, sive instrumentum universale, describing Cigoli's perspective machine, and an Appendix De Lumine et Umbris treating on light and shadows. The work on Latin version remained unfinished due to his sudden illness and death in 1646. The first Book presents briefly the fundamental geometrical theorems, and then develops a general method of perspective, borrowing heavily from Alberti and Dürer. The second Book is mainly devoted to the projection of anamorphic images and to the problem of establishing perspective for paintings executed on curved or irregular surfaces, like vaults and niches, presents a general technique of anamorphosis. Here Niceron shows, for example, how to construct on the interior surface of a cone a distorted image which, when viewed from the end through the base, appears in proper proportion.

In his book Niceron illustrates some of Descartes' theories by showing the camera oscura as an analogy for the eye (pl. 2), but generally applies to the problem of representing geometric bodies in space the constructional techniques of Desargues (e.g. pl. 13). Niceron demonstrates the use of a perspectivally distorted grid (e.g. pl. 25), and projection onto non-plane surfaces (e.g. pl. 28). Plate 33 shows how he made his famous large-scale anamorphic projection of St John writing the Revelation, on a wall of the convent of Sta. Trinità de' Monti, Rome.

Born in Paris in 1613, Niceron (1613-1646) studied under Mersenne in Paris and then entered the Order of Minims; he was appointed professor of mathematics at their convent in Rome. He was also an artist of some note and executed a large anamorphic wall painting (now lost) in the convent of Sta. Trinita de' Monti. He, and his Minim colleague Maignan were interested in the uses of anamorphosis in religious art. He was a member of the circle of Mersenne and acquainted with Fermat, Descartes, and Roberval in France and Cavalieri, Kircher, Maignan, and others in Rome. He collaborated with a group of scientists in Rome (including Magiotti, Baliani, Kircher, Ricci, and Maignan) in conducting experiments suggested by the work of Galileo. Niceron was in contact with contemporary thinkers such as Descartes, Desargues, and Gassendi; and his works were known to leading French painters of the time such as Le Sueur, Poussin and Vouet. Curiously, Niceron's Thaumaturgus opticus was an important influence on 20th century French surrealist and dadaist artist Marcel Duchamp (see e.g. Octavio Paz, Marcel Duchamp: Appearance Stripped Bare, p.137).