Henry Holland (1583–1650?) [author]; Magdalena van de Passe (1600–1638) [engraver].

Herωologia Anglica hoc est clarissimorum et doctissimorum, aliquot [sic] Anglorum qui floruerunt ab anno Cristi M.D. usq' ad presentem annum M. D. CXX vivae effigies Vitae et Elogia, duobus tomis.

Arnhem, printed by Jan Jansson at the expenses of Crispijn van de Passe and Jan Jansson for Henry Holland, 1620.

Folio, 2 parts in one, 240 pp. (very irregular pagination), collates: x8, A-C6, D-D2, π, D3-D6, E-V6, π (= complete).

With an elaborate engraved title (featuring a small view of London and a miniature circular map of England) and 64 fine full-page engraved portraits, as well as depictions of the tombs of Elizabeth I and Prince Henry, all engraved by Willem and Magdalena van de Passe.

The number of plates varies significantly among the copies we have examined. Three plates found in some copies fall outside the collation and were likely inserted later. The STCN collation does not account for these leaves. One of these plates is included in our copy: the plate depicting the grave of Elizabeth I, inserted between D2 and D3. This plate is printed on different paper and was likely added later. Our copy lacks the other two uncollated plates, a portrait of Martinus Frobisher, which is sometimes inserted between H6 and I, and a portrait of Johannes Baleus between O4-O5.

Contemporary mottled calf with raised bands, sprinkled edges.

                First and only edition of the Herωologia Anglica (1620), an extraordinary collection of portraits and biographies representing prominent figures of Tudor and Jacobean England, including the great explorers. This book was a family project by the renowned Van de Passe graphic artists from Amsterdam, published by Crispijn van de Passe the Elder. He enlisted his daughter Magdalena and son Willem to engrave the striking portraits.
                Magdalena van de Passe was one of the few prolific female engravers in the male-dominated field of 17th-century printmaking, and she was exceptionally talented. Known for her skillful copper engravings of landscapes, mythological scenes, and biblical illustrations, her portrait work in this volume is among her finest. Her engravings are characterized by striking contrasts between light and dark, highlighting her technical expertise and artistic sensitivity. Magdalena collaborated on various high-profile projects, including Herωologia Anglica, and mentored the notable artist and scholar Anna Maria van Schurman, one of the rare documented instances of a female artist training another during that era.
                The book was published by the English bookseller and printer Henry Holland (1583–circa 1650). Described by Hind as “the most authoritative series of English portraits published up to that time,” it includes monarchs, nobles, explorers such as Frobisher, Hawkins, and Drake, as well as Protestant reformers and martyrs. Beginning with Henry VIII and concluding with Thomas Holland, a translator of the King James Bible, this work was celebrated by art historian Roy Strong as a “Protestant pantheon.” Holland assured his readers that the engravings were based on authentic portraits, emphasizing the work’s historical accuracy. Considered both a landmark achievement in portraiture and a cultural testament to England’s Protestant heritage, Herωologia Anglica reflects the shifting values of early 17th-century England, spotlighting figures whose influence shaped the nation’s religious and political identity.

Condition:

Binding slightly rubbed; corners bumped; spine worn at the ends and cracked at the hinges. Title page lightly browned with small damage to the lower left corner. Faint marginal staining on the last few leaves. Additional index leaf foxed. Otherwise, in very good overall condition.

Provenance:

From William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland (1857-1943), with his bookplate.

Reference:

Lowndes II, 1089; ESTC S119103; STC 13582; STCN 05357429X

Hind Engraving, II, 145-162

Kraus, H.P. Sir Francis Drake, no. 39

For Magdalena van de Passe see:

Franken, D. L'Oeuvre gravé des van de Passe. Paris: F. Muller et Cie, 1881 (Reprinted Amsterdam: G. W. Hissink, 1975.

Hollstein, F. W. H. et al. Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings, and woodcuts, ca. 1450-1700 Amsterdam: Menno Hertzberger, 1949- ongoing 2000, vol. XVI, pp. 211-220.