NICERON, Jean Francois (1613-1636). La Perspective curieuse. Paris: widow of F. Langlois, 1652.

Folio (342 x 240 mm). Engraved frontispiece, engraved title-page, 50 engraved folding plates (one double-page). (Neat early repair to lower corner of title-page, short marginal tear on one plate, some very minor soiling.) Contemporary brown sprinkled sheep, spine in 8 compartments with 7 raised bands gilt, tan and brown lettering-pieces gilt. Provenance: Frantz Carl Antoni von und zu Enzentriedt (armorial bookplate).

Third edition, edited by Roberval, the first to contain Mersenne's important optical treatise L'Optique et las catoptrique. Niceron, a friar of the Minim order, studied perspective in Italy, where he taught mathematics. In the first edition of this, his major work, he demonstrated a keen understanding of the science of perspective. The first edition of his work contained the first published reference to Descartes' derivation of the law of refraction. Later editions of the work "simply provide more detail" (DSB).


Property from the Collection of Norman and Florence Blitch