Michel de Marolles

Jeremias Falck (c. 1605/09–1677) is considered to be the greatest engraver of early modern times working in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Graphical representa- tions of  ower forms constitute a signi cant part of his oeuvre. So far they have not been of special interest to researchers, therefore it is worth giving them more attention now. It seems necessary to look at the existing attributions to estimate the real number of Falck’s works on this subject, and to formally analyse various prints. It is also necessary to critically approach the questions of the original prints, later editions, and copies.
Up to date researchers have recorded selected  ower representations, without referring to the information in the only catalogue raisonné of Falck’s works by Block, who attributed to him up to 98 compositions on the subject. Only by compar- ing prints from the Polish museums with various collections abroad the answer to the question how many  ower arrangements were actually created by Jeremias Falck can be provided.
Falck’s authorship of the series Novae et exquisitae FLORUM ICONES has been con rmed. It is also highly likely that he elaborated most of the plates of the series Verscheyde Nieuwe TULPEN.
From the frontispiece of the series Novae et exquisitae FLORUM ICONES we can
conclude that Falck was not only the engraver, but also the author of the composition (inventor). Flowers in his works do not map a particular set of a botanical collection, but are a recommendation for an artistic representation of the plant.  ey could have been a kind of a template for painters, and at the same time objects d’art for collectors.  anks to their artistic qualities, perfect workmanship, and attention to the highest editorial standards, Falck’s  ower engravings became desirable works in the art mar- ket, copied by other designers and reprinted by other publishers.
e analysis of the preserved prints linked to Falck can also lead to a number of general conclusions on the functioning of the market for graphic art in the 17th cen- tury. Florilegia were usually formed in series containing a few to a dozen composi- tions. Herbaria’s cards could circulate in the form of a compact collection of a few series together, but also in smaller folders or even as loose cards.  e study shows that they were particularly popular in 17th-century France and the Netherlands.  e increase in production, mainly of the copies of previous cycles, occurred in the 1670s and lasted until the early 18th century. Falck and Vauquer were copied by Gerard Valck, Nicolaes Visscher and many others.

An anonymous, undated printed booklet of ca 1655, in the Department of Manuscripts of the BNF (Paris), that offers the earliest sofar known rules of the game of Tarot, proved to be printed in Nevers in 1637 and written by the abbé Michel de Marolles (1600-1681), the print collector who sold his collection to King Louis XIV. It is the basis of the present Department of Prints and Photography.

Le mot, la chose et le traducteur : circonscrire "l'insupportable" dans la traduction de Martial par l'abbé de Marolles (1655) Daniel Vallat Michel de Marolles, serial translator Michel de Marolles (1600-1681), contemporain assez exact de Corneille (1606-1684) ou de Chapelain (1595-1674), s'est illustré par une intense activité d'écriture et de traduction que son état ecclésiastique ne présageait pas nécessairement. Abbé de Villeloin (Mayenne) de 1626 à 1674, il commence sa carrière littéraire par une traduction de Lucain en 1623, puis, plus tard 1 , traduit des ouvrages chrétiens comme les Psaumes et Cantiques (1644), le Nouveau Testament (1649), le Bréviaire (1659), puis compose des Mémoires (1656), divers ouvrages d'histoire antique ou de littérature (Traité du poème épique pour l'intelligence de l'Énéide de Virgile (1662) ; Considérations sur la langue française (1667))-sans oublier son activité de collectionneur d'étampes, dont le rachat par Colbert en 1668 est considéré comme l'acte de création du Cabinet des étampes. Mais sa principale activité, à laquelle il revient au bout d'une vingtaine d'années après le Lucain, est la traduction des principaux poètes latins, qui l'occupera des années 1640 jusqu'à sa mort. En particulier, en une quinzaine d'années à partir de 1649, il traduit la plupart des grands poètes latins, avec des dédicaces prestigieuses 2. Sur la fin de sa vie, il traduira même du grec (les Deipnosophistes d' Athénée, 1680). Une partie importante de ces textes connaîtra une seconde édition, ou une traduction à nouveaux frais. Ainsi, pour Martial, outre la traduction de 1655-la première en langue moderne-, il 1 Cette longue période loin des poètes latins s'explique par les activités ecclésiastiques et les engagements de l'abbé ; il était en particulier au service de la maison des ducs de Nevers (et de Mantoue), dont il était l'historien.