[Twelve views of the Netherlands, printed on silk].

Rare suite of twelve engraved views printed on silk as proof impressions, depicting the catastrophic Dutch flood disasters of 1775 and 1776. Engraved chiefly by Noach van der Meer II (active 1740-1794) after drawings by Hendrik Kobell (1751-1779), with one plate (ad 4) by Simon Fokke (1712-1784), the series was published in Amsterdam between 1775 and 1776. Several plates were later incorporated into Johan Hendrik Hering's (1731-1790) Bespiegeling over Neêrlandsch waternood (1776-1778), the principal contemporary account of the disasters. Printed on silk rather than paper, these impressions were almost certainly intended as presentation or luxury proofs.The series records the devastating storm surges that struck the Dutch Republic in consecutive years. The North Sea flood of 14-15 November 1775, caused by a violent north-easterly storm, breached dikes across Holland, Waterland, Texel and the Zuiderzee region, inundating towns and villages from Scheveningen to Kampen. Only a year later, on 20-21 November 1776, an equally destructive south-westerly storm again overwhelmed coastal defences, producing one of the most severe flood disasters of the eighteenth century. Together these engravings form an exceptional visual chronicle of the Republic's struggle against the sea.The artistic quality of the engravings owes much to Kobell, one of the finest Dutch marine painters of the late 18th century. His dramatic compositions combine topographical accuracy with vivid narrative, while Van der Meer, who trained in Paris and worked in Amsterdam, translated Kobell's drawings into finely executed engravings. The Texel view was entrusted to the celebrated Amsterdam engraver Fokke, one of the leading Dutch printmakers of his generation.Besides their artistic merit, these prints constitute important historical documents. They belong to the earliest wave of illustrated Dutch disaster literature, produced in response to the catastrophic floods that profoundly affected the economy, landscape and collective memory of the Dutch Republic. Hering's Bespiegeling over Neêrlandsch waternood, for which several of these plates were used, became the standard contemporary account of the disasters and laid the foundation for later historical studies of the floods.All engravings with a number written in pencil in the lower right. The folder shows minor traces of use. Some very minor browning and light staining to some parts of the silk, and some fraying alone the edges. Otherwise in very good condition.l Muller, De Nederlandsche geschiedenis in platen, II p. 220, nos. 4314-5; cf. for the work of Hering see: STCN 160342767 and 160344492. Kept in a dark brown buckram folder lined with blue patterned paper, remnants of green closing ties. With 12 full-page engravings printed on silk, with the selvedge on the bottom, captioned in Dutch with the word "proefdruk" (proof) printed in the lower right. Comprising:The views relating to the Flood of 1775:(1) Gezicht van het Bergsche veld, in het land van Heusden . den 15den November 1775(2) Gezicht uit Oosthuizen, op de dijkbreuk bij Warder . den 15den November 1775. (3) Gezicht van den hogen vloed, in den N.N.W. storm, voor Scheveningen, den 15den November 1775. (4) Gezicht van de dijkbreuk, aan den douk, op Texel . den 15den November 1775.(5) Gezicht van de overstrooming der sluis te Delfshaven, 's avonds den 14den November 1775. (6) Gezicht van het Kattenburger plein te Amsterdam . 's morgens den 15den November 1775. (7) Gezicht in de Koekkoek, bij Kampen . den 15den November 1775.The views relating to the Flood of 1776:(8) Gezicht van de overstrooming en doorbraak, van den IJsseldijk, buiten Gouda . den 21sten en 22sten November 1776. (9) Gezicht der overstroominge, op de Hooge Swaluwe, den 22sten November 1776.(10) Gezicht van den storm en hogen vloed, voor Elburg, den 21sten November 1776. (11) Gezicht der overstroominge en dijkbreuk, tusschen Vollenhoven en Kampen, den 22sten November 1776. (12) IJgezicht, naar 't Bl. …