Art and Architecture
Rare Art Books & Rare Architecture Books for Sale Online
Raptis Rare Books maintains an extensive selection of rare art books and rare books on architecture in our library. Browse through our entire collection below, view details about individual books and contact us to ask a question or find out more information.
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"Second only to Gilbert Stuart's Athenaeum portrait": Rembrandt Peale's "George Washington, Patriae Pater"
PEALE, Rembrandt. [George Washington].
“George Washington, Patriae Pater” Rembrandt Peale Original Oil Painting.
Rembrandt Peale's famed painted portrait of George Washington, "George Washington, Patriae Pater", considered by many second only to Gilbert Stuart's iconic Athenaeum portrait of the first president and variations of which hang in the Oval Office and Old Senate Chamber. Oil on canvas. In 1795, 17-year-old Rembrandt Peale was invited by his father, famed American painter Charles Willson Peale, to accompany him to a portrait sitting with President George Washington. Although young Rembrandt was not entirely satisfied with the resulting portrait of the aging Washington, it was well-received and made his debut as a portraitist. In 1822, after a trip…
Price: $350,000.00 Item Number: 135084
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"The greatest and finest atlas ever published": Willem and Joan Blaeu's magnificent Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, or, Le Theatre du Monde
BLAEU, Willem and Joan.
Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. [Le Theatre du Monde].
Amsterdam: Chez Jean Blaeu/Apud Guiljelmum et Johannem Blaeu, 1643-1645.
A fine French-text copy in a presentation binding. Folio, 4 volumes, contemporary Dutch vellum likely from the Blaeu workshop with gilt tooling to the spine in eight compartments within gilt bands, central gilt arabesques and fleuron corner pieces within double gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, all edges gilt. Gilt presentation inscription to the front panel of vol. I dated July 3, 1646 dedicating the set to Omer Talon, avocat-général to the French Parliament with the compliments of François du Monstier, rector of the University of Paris. Illustrated with 335 magnificent hand-colored engraved maps of the world and…
Price: $300,000.00 Item Number: 126307
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"God is Truth": Exceptionally rare Etching Signed by Gandhi and Illustrator Fritz Eichenberg
GANDHI, Mohandas K. [Mahatma].
Mohandas K. Gandhi Signed Engraving Portrait.
Wood engraving of a bust-length portrait of one of the most famous graphic images of Gandhi by illustrator Fritz Eichenberg; signed by Gandhi, "God is Truth MK Gandhi." Below Gandhi's inscription in a pencil inscription by Fritz Eichenberg, "To Eva Aug. 16th, 1948 with love from Fritz" and additionally signed "Fritz Eichenberg." The engraving is a proof impression on Japanese paper. The portrait by Eichenberg was originally created for The Catholic Worker, a newspaper in the cause of social justice, and was subsequently used in multiple other publications. "The word satya (Truth) is derived from Sat which means 'being'. Nothing…
Price: $50,000.00 Item Number: 103540
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FIRST EDITION OF THE FIRST PRINTED ATLAS OF RUSSIA, AND ONE OF PETER THE GREAT'S MOST SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS
DE L'ISLE, Joseph Nicolas.
Russischer Atlas welcher in einer General-Charte und neunzehen Special-Charten das gesamte Russische Reich und dessen angräntzende Länder.vorstellig macht.
St. Petersburg: Entworffen bey der Kayserl. Academie der Wissenschaften, 1745.
Rare first edition of the first atlas printed of Russia. Folio, bound in full leather, 19 double-page maps, one large folding general map. In excellent condition with light toning. An exceptional example.
Price: $35,000.00 Item Number: 105840
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FINE PAIR OF RARE EARLY 19TH CENTURY Josiah Loring CELESTIAL AND TERRESTRIAL TABLE GLOBES
LORING, Josiah.
Loring’s Terrestrial and Celestial Table Globes.
Boston: Josiah Loring, c. 1833.
Fine pair of rare early 19th century American celestial and terrestrial table globes published by Josiah Loring. Both the celestial and terrestrial globe measure 17 inches in diameter with a calibrated brass meridian ring and 17 inch mahogany horizon ring decorated with mounted hand colored decorations. Mounted on ebonized oak stands. Each globe is comprised of 12 richly detailed hand-colored gores with polar calottes, the terrestrial globe detailing the earth’s landmasses, major countries and cities and the celestial showing the major stars in various sizes related to their brightness. Major constellations and all twelve zodiac signs are illustrated with detailed…
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 132508
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"Nothing in bronze or stone could be a more perfect image than this statue of the living Washington": Fine bronze bust of George Washington after the famed Houdon bust of 1785
HOUDON, Jean-Antoine. [George Washington].
Jean-Antoine Houdon George Washington Bronze Bust.
Fine bronze bust of George Washington, after the famed Houdon bust of 1785 which is considered the most accurate depiction of Washington. Bronze, mounted on a marble pedestal. French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon was revered for his life-like portrayals of numerous notable eighteenth-century philosophers, inventors, and political figures including Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Napoléon Bonaparte, and George Washington. In 1784, the Virginia General Assembly commissioned a statue of George Washington "to be of the finest marble and the best workmanship," necessitating a European craftsman. The Governor of Virginia gave the responsibility of selecting the artist to Thomas Jefferson,…
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 123102
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"Produced by the most important and active printing press of 17th century Rome": Rare early seventeenth century Italian celestial globe produced by Roman cartographer Giuseppe de Rossi
GIUSEPPE DE ROSSI,.
Giuseppe de Rossi’s Globus Coelest. [Seventeenth Century Italian Celestial Globe].
Rome: Giuseppe de Rossi, [1615].
Rare early seventeenth century Italian celestial globe produced by Roman cartographer Giuseppe de Rossi, the founder the most important and active printing press of 17th century Rome, the Rossi firm. Laid horizontally and mounted on a turned mahogany stand, the celestial globe measures 8 inches in diameter and is comprised of 12 hand-colored engraved gores depicting the major constellations and all twelve zodiac signs, illustrated in detail after Jodocus Hondius famed celestial globe of 1601. The inscribed cartouche reads, "Globus Coelest, in quo stellae fixæ omnes quæ a N. Viro Tychone Brahe suma cura observatæ sunt, accuratissime dessignantur: quibus adjuncte…
Price: $28,000.00 Item Number: 127575
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"I have never advocated war except as a means of peace": Rare Henry Shrady Ulysses S. Grant Bronze Bust
GRANT, Ulysses S.] Henry Merwin Shrady.
Ulysses S. Grant Bronze Bust.
Original bronze bust of Ulysses S. Grant by Henry Shrady, the famed sculptor of the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial on the west front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. Mounted on socle and base, the entire piece measures 18.5 inches in height. In fine condition. An exceptional piece of Americana.
Price: $22,500.00 Item Number: 102885
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Rare Globe Terrestre d'apres les Decouvertes les Plus Recentes
BERTRAUX, Emile .
Globe Terrestre d’apres les Decouvertes les Plus Recentes [Terrestrial Globe].
Paris: Emile Bertraux, 1879.
A fine and highly detailed French terrestrial library globe showing the earth's geography as it was mapped in the late nineteenth century. The globe includes the oceans' major currents, the declination of the sun, color-coded European colonial possessions, the locations of railway tracks, telegraph lines, and ocean liner routes, as well as the tracks of various explorers, including Columbus, Cook, Vancouver, D'Urville, and Freycinet, among others. The globe consists of twelve hand-colored lithographed paper gores and two calottes pasted to a plaster and wood sphere; the globe's graduated brass meridian circle is set within a later stand consisting of a…
Price: $17,500.00 Item Number: 136769
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Rare First Edition of Leonardo Da Vinci's Trattato della Pittura di Lionardo da Vinci
DA VINCI, Leonardo.
Trattato della Pittura di Lionardo da Vinci. [Leonardo da Vinci].
Paris: Jacques Langlois, 1651.
Rare first edition of this classic treatise of da Vinci's work on painting, two parts in one volume. Folio, bound in full contemporary calf, gilt titles, engraved portrait of da Vinci in each part, engraved vignette on title, engraved initials, head and tail pieces, engraved text illustrations. In very good condition, marginalia, rebacked. Compiled from his original notes by his pupil Francesco Melzi. First editions are rare.
Price: $16,000.00 Item Number: 130267
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Fine pair of rare early 19th century of Regency Twelve-Inch Terrestrial and Celestial Library Globes
CARY, George; John and William Cary.
Pair of Regency Terrestrial and Celestial Library Globes
London: George and John Cary and by John and William Cary, c. 1816 and 1821.
Fine pair of rare early 19th century celestial and terrestrial table globes the cartouche of the terrestrial globe reads Cary's New Terrestrial Globe Delineated From the best Authorities extant Exhibiting the late discoveries towards the North Pole and every improvement in Geography to the present Time London Made & Sold by G & J Cary, 86 S. James's St. March 15th 1821; the cartouche of the celestial globe reads Cary's New Celestial Globe on white are correctly laid down upwards of 3500 stars Selected from the most accurate observations and calculated for the year 1800. With the extent of each…
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 141475
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Bust of Abraham Lincoln by famed artist George Bissell; One of only three examples
[ABRAHAM LINCOLN] GEORGE BISSELL,.
Bust of Abraham Lincoln.
Patinated bronze portrait bust of Abraham Lincoln, marked "GEO. E. BISSELL Sc GORHAM CO. FOUNDERS copyrighted," and stamped "G 47." This is one of a series of popular desktop busts of Lincoln produced by the Gorham foundry in the early part of the 20th century. In fine condition. The piece measures 18 inches in height. An exceptional piece of American history.
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 133797
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"In every battle there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten, then he who continues the attack wins": Rare Henry Kirke Bush-Brown Bust of Ulysses S. Grant as the first general of the united states army
BUSH-BROWN, Henry Kirke. [Ulysses S. Grant].
Ulysses S. Grant Bronze Bust.
New York: Henry-Bonnard Bronze Co., [c. 1885].
Attractive bronze bust of of Ulysses S. Grant as General of the Army by famed American sculptor Henry Kirke Bush-Brown. The adopted nephew of sculptor Henry Kirke Brown, Henry Kirke Bush-Brown was revered for his accurate realist sculptures illustrating American history. He produced three equestrian bronze sculptures erected at the Gettysburg battlefield depicting General George Mead (the victor at Gettysburg), General John F. Reynolds (killed in action July 1, 1863), and General John Sedgwick (the senior most Union casualty of the American Civil War). In addition, Bush-Brown made a bust of Abraham Lincoln, dedicated in 1912 as part of the…
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 125381
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"Learning never exhausts the mind": RARE EDITION OF LEONARDO DA VINCI'S TRATTATO DELLA PITTURA
DU FRESNE, Rafaelle. [Leonardo Da Vinci].
Trattato Della Pittura Di Lionardo Da Vinci Nuovamente Dato In Luce, Colla Vita Dell’ Istesso Autore, Scritta Da Rafaelle Du Fresne. Si sono giunti i tre libri della Pittura, ed il trattato della Statua di Leon Battista Alberti, colla vita del medesimo, E di nuovo ristampato, corretto, ed a maggior perfezione concotto.
In Parigi ed in Napoli: Giacomo Langlois ed Francesco Ricciardo a spese di Niccola, e Vicenzo Rispoli, 1733.
Rare third augmented edition of the preferred work in Italian of da Vinci’s work on painting. Folio, bound in stiff paper wrappers, illustrated with text engravings throughout, with two full-paged portraits of da Vinci and Alberti, lacking the final two text leaves: H1 & H2. The true date of the Parisian edition, as in all copies, is altered in pen on the title page: from MDCLI to MDCCI. In very good condition. Housed in a custom clamshell box.
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 125493
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Bust of Abraham Lincoln by famed artist George Bissell
[ABRAHAM LINCOLN] GEORGE BISSELL,.
Bust of Abraham Lincoln.
Patinated bronze cast of Abraham Lincoln by George Bissell, one of only three commissioned by Ralph Newman for THE USS AL. Boldly signed by the artist in the back Geo. E. Bissell Sc. George Bissell was an important American sculptor working in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He produced two full length statues of Lincoln: one in Edinburgh and one in Clermont, Iowa. According to the letter from Lincoln College Curator Paul Beaver, the present item is one of three copies made from the school's original Bissell bronze bust of Lincoln by the Van Dyke Galleries of Chicago…
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 131044
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First edition of The White House Gardens: A History and Pictorial Record; inscribed by Jacqueline Kennedy to her mother-in-law Rose Kennedy
NIXON, Patricia. [Preface]; [Jacqueline Kennedy; Rose Kennedy].
The White House Gardens: A History and Pictorial Record.
New York: Great American Editions, 1973.
First edition of the first book to trace the history of and fully illustrate the grounds of the White House gardens. Oblong quarto, original cloth, pictorial endpapers, illustrated with color plates by Harold Sterner. Association copy, inscribed by Jacqueline Kennedy on the half-title page, "For Grandma with love Jackie." The recipient, Rose Kennedy, was the matriarch of the Kennedy family: the wife of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., mother of John F. Kennedy and his eight siblings, mother-in-law of Jacqueline Kennedy, and grandmother of the children of John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy. She was a devout catholic and deeply embedded in…
Price: $12,000.00 Item Number: 142435
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"Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen": Rare First Edition in English of Leonardo Da Vinci's A Treatise of Painting
DA VINCI, Leonardo.
A Treatise of Painting.
London: Printed for J. Senex; and W. Taylor, 1721.
Rare first edition in English of da Vinci's classic work on painting. Octavo, bound in full calf, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, front and rear panels, raised bands, marbled endpapers, title page printed in red and black, illustrated with engraved frontispiece portrait facing title, thirty-one full page plates, and three folding (thirty-five in total), final two leaves of publisher's ads present after text. In very good condition, bookplate to the front pastedown. First editions are rare.
Price: $9,800.00 Item Number: 144142
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Nineteenth Century Portrait of George Washington
STUART, Gilbert. (George Washington).
George Washington Portrait.
Portrait of George Washington after Gilbert Stuart, American School, late 19th century oil on canvas portrait of President George Washington, after the Athaneum portrait by Gilbert Stuart. Housed in a Victorian giltwood frame with floral carved corner ornaments and oval opening. The entire piece measures 35 inches by 40 inches. An exceptional piece.
Price: $9,800.00 Item Number: 78002