[EPIGRAPHY] Six Notebooks Of Drawings Of Tombstones And Records Of Funerary Inscriptions.

6 vols., hundreds of manuscript illustrations of tombstones and funerary inscriptions, some heightened with watercolour, captions and notes in Dutch, occasional pencil annotations in a different hand, original sewn paper wrappers with manuscript titles, covers worn, 1 cover loose, 4to, Gent, summer months of 1836-1837.

Meticulous records of the tombstones and funerary inscriptions taken in churches and chapels in Ghent and the surrounding area.

Jean de Meyer (1794-1869) was an accomplished amateur antiquarian, numismatist and bibliophile. He spent June-September of 1836 and 1837 skillfully illustrating and transcribing hundreds of graves. Each volume is dedicated to specific sites with the names of these sites written on each cover. Some are famous like St Bavo Abbey and St Martin in Ekkergem. Others record sites that no longer exist such as “Predikheeren” – a Dominican friary, now the “Pand”.

The earliest of these volumes is the one dedicated to St Bavo Abbey. He spent three days between 5th-15th July 1836 transcribing about fifty graves. He also spent July in Augustijnenkerk and Klein Begijnhof, before moving onto St Catharina and St Jacob “Godshuizen” in August. He visited the groot Begijnhof, and Nieuwenbosch Abbey in mid August, and the Predikheeren on the last day of the month.

In June 1837 he resumed his project by spending two days at Groolbegynh; and over a week at both St Martin in Ekkergem and St Michaels. July was spent at St Laurentiuskirk, Bijloke Abbey, St Agnete and Oosteeklo Abbey. In August he visited Heilig Kersk, Spaegaurds Kastect and St Jacobs.

Many of the tombstones are simple transcriptions with some ornamental details and notes on material and colour, but for others it is clear there has been significant care taken in the rendering, with the use of shading or watercolour, or details like the typography have been emulated rather than just transcribed. Many of the illustrations also have referencing numbers, but it is unclear what these are related to.

Overall a very handsome record of the significant tombs in Gent in the early nineteenth century.