Litany of the Virgin Mary - M.V.D.L - Antique Book

Author: M.V.D.L Title: **Litany of the Virgin Mary** (Stigtelyke uytbreiding der litanie van O.L. Vrouwe van Loretten. Op rym gestalt tot geestelyk vermaak en vermeerdering der devotie tot de selve alder-heyligste maget en moeder Godts Maria). One volume. 62 pages, containing one copperplate title page illustration and 56 allegorical copperplate illustrations produced by the Klauber brothers. Imprint: Brussel, J. J. Boucherie. Technique: Letterpress printing and copperplate engraving. Red Moroccan goatskin binding with gilded filigree tooling, Southern Netherlands, 18th century. Date: (1760). Dimensions: 17.3 x 11.2 cm (BO 77). Artwork Description: Among the praises and prayers in Christian devotion, the Litany of the Virgin Mary is a form of prayer used by believers to praise and supplicate the Virgin Mary. It is frequently heard in Catholic liturgical ceremonies and processions, comprising a series of praises and invocations. The word "litany" originates from the Latin "litania," meaning prayer and intercession. Within the Catholic Church, there are two official versions of litanies: the Litany of Loreto and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the Feast of the Coronation. The Pope generally recommends the Litany of Loreto, while the Coronation Litany may substitute for it on certain occasions. This form of litany existed by the mid-15th century, with roots tracing back even earlier. The Loreto version gained renown due to the Basilica della Santa Casa, a Catholic pilgrimage site in Loreto, believed to have housed Mary's home. This popularity spread with pilgrims across Europe and was eventually recognized by the Catholic Church. The version in this book is the Litany of Loreto, with twelve prayers addressed to Mary, Jesus' mother, six praises of her virginity, followed by thirteen titles derived from the Old Testament, then four invocations to her as helper and mediator, and finally thirteen verses highlighting her status as Queen of Heaven. The cantor recites the praises of the Virgin Mary, followed by the congregation singing "Pray for us," in continuous invocation of Mary's various attributes until the conclusion. The current version of the Litany of Loreto emerged due to the unease of local clergy regarding Pope Pius V's (1504-1572) prohibition of various versions of Marian prayers. They modified the traditional version by incorporating prayers that directly quoted scripture, allowing them to continue being sung in church services. This new version was set to music and published in 1575, becoming one of the earliest litanies set to music. This litany may have been sung only in Loreto at the time, as there appears to have been no public advocacy in Rome, the seat of the papacy. For this reason, the Litany of Loreto was revised again, omitting the scriptural citations and reverting to the older text. This version was published in 1578. In 1587, a papal bull officially approved the Litany of Loreto and recommended its use by the faithful, sparking a trend of litanies for saviors, the Virgin Mary, and saints, leading to a lively period. Consequently, by 1601, the Holy See designated the permissible litanies, and only then was the Litany of Loreto officially recognized as the version of the Holy See. This **Litany of the Virgin Mary**, a mere 62 pages, features a copperplate title page illustration and 56 allegorical copperplate illustrations, where the imagery largely overshadows the text. After all, the Litany of the Virgin Mary offers praise and supplication to the Virgin Mary's various attributes through prayer; the words are brief, but the sentiment is profound, requiring no lengthy discourse. In 1750, the Klauber brothers (Joseph Klauber/Johann Klauber), copperplate artists commissioned by the Archbishop of Augsburg, Germany, created 56 copperplate illustrations for the Latin version of the litany. These established classic imagery for the various attributes of the Virgin Mary and introduced Baroque artistic expression. This Dutch edition appropriates the imagery from the Latin version to form the present edition. Examining the treatment of the illustrations, the copperplate images appear to have been adhered to both sides of a blank page. It is likely that the Dutch edition directly acquired printed copperplate images and then trimmed and pasted them, rather than borrowing the original plates for reprinting or recutting new plates. This practice of pasting copperplate illustrations into books existed as early as the incunabula period following the advent of movable type. Since intaglio copperplate and relief movable type could not be printed simultaneously, they had to be produced separately and then integrated, much like manuscripts that left blank spaces for illustrations. In incunabula produced with movable type, blank spaces were similarly left for pasting copperplate illustrations, which were more refined than woodcuts. Full-page copperplate illustrations were often inserted as separate sheets rather than pasted, leaving the reverse side blank. For the Dutch edition of the **Litany of the Virgin Mary**, it's possible that if only copperplate illustrations were inserted, leaving the reverse side blank, it would disrupt the page layout with the text or require reformatting, adding more pages, increasing costs, and making the book thicker and less portable. This perhaps led to this prayer book format where images were pasted, representing a compromise in 18th-century publishing. This was not the experimental phase of the early incunabula era but a time when image placement could be handled more maturely. Nonetheless, following common 18th-century practice, a full-page copperplate illustration would occupy one sheet, equivalent to two modern pages, with one page blank. This would naturally add 28 sheets to the thickness of this **Litany of the Virgin Mary**. That's assuming the text layout remained unchanged; if the text were to be rearranged with the images, it might require an additional 28 to 34 pages of text. This would inflate the original 62 pages to nearly a hundred. For a bookseller, this would represent a significant expense, requiring careful calculation. However, this edition still includes numerous blank pages, and even with cost savings from printing, it adheres to basic book production principles. This **Litany of the Virgin Mary** was created around 1760 in Brussels. The title indicates it is a faithful expansion of the Litany of the Virgin of Loreto, employing sacred melodies in homage to the Most High Virgin Mary. This region remained within the sphere of Catholic influence. The binding design, with its lace-like gilded tooling, utilizes motifs found in the Southern Netherlands during the 18th century. The lace style is also prevalent in areas where Catholicism flourished, such as Italy. This suggests the book's owner at the time was a faithful individual familiar with Catholic doctrine and contemporary tastes. *Please feel free to message the designer with any specific questions. *Our collection primarily features Western antiques, vintage jewelry, home decor, and old European prints and books. As these are antique items, they inevitably bear marks of age and history. We carefully curate and arrange them with a discerning eye to enhance your living space, reflecting a unique sense of taste and aesthetic philosophy. However, if you are concerned about such imperfections, please consider carefully before making a purchase.