The Book of Marble: A Breathtaking Re-edition

Conceived for the geology aficionado and the collector of scientific books, Taschen’s brand new limited run of Marmor Soorten is a mesmerizing and faithful reproduction of Jan Christiaan Sepp’s 1776 masterpiece of scientific illustration.

This book was first compiled at the height of The Age of Reason, when knowledge and understanding of the world around us became the obsession of European society. J.C. Sepp, son of an equally well-regarded collector and publisher, exemplifies this dedication to categorisation, recording 570 different marble types, meticulously reproduced on 100 different hand-painted plates, with descriptions translated into Dutch, German, English, French, and Latin. Marmor Soorten is lauded as one of the finest examples of illustrated scientific books of the Enlightenment.

This latest print is the first re-edition of this rare book, painstakingly reproduced to capture every minute detail of Sepp’s incredible work. It is authored by Geert Jan-Koot with the collaboration of the State and University Library in Dresden and the Getty Research Institute. 

The Book of Marble is available in English, French, and German in stores and on Taschen’s website. It is limited to 10,000 copies.

Credit Images: Taschen