Palau 72708 et. seq. Salvá 2243. Rico y Sinobas p.56. Cotarelo y Mori 745. ‘Nueva Arte’ was published in four parts, 1616-1631. The bibliography is still somewhat confused, as complete copies (if it were ever clear what that might be), would appear to be chimeras, surviving examples being ad-hoc collections of odd plates (The copy in Seville described in ‘Un tesoro en la Universidad de Sevilla’, Catálogo de exposición, 1993, no. 97, is one such; and Cotarelo stresses that, for his bibliographical descriptions, ‘…no hemos hallado dos ejemplares exactamente iguales’. CCBPE lists no copies of parts 1 & 2, although they seem to be present in the BNM). The eight separate engraved plates here offered are from the first, second and third parts. ALL HAVE A DECKLE EDGE WITH WIDE MARGINS, SHOWING THAT THEY WERE NEVER COLLECTED AND BOUND IN PUBLISHED VOLUMES. Plates in the first part were engraved by Adrian Boon and Francisco de Villafrañe from Morente's original calligraphic manuscripts. Although apparently unhappy with the rendering of these engravers, it is not clear whether Morante (or son), had extra skill enough to engrave the later plates themselves. These plates exhibit his innovative method of linking letters and words without lifting the pen (‘el trabado’), so as to increase fluency and rapidity in writing without losing clarity or elegance. But they go further by exuberantly illustrating how the same technique might be used as decoration in the most ornate baroque taste. 1. The superb engraved title plate to the suite of plates of the first part, 'Cotarelo II. p. 66, lám no. 1. Numbered ‘1’ in top right hand corner, dated Madrid, 1615. A variant pull without the engraver’s signature [Adrian Boon] and with flourishes in the margins of the inner box. ‘En algunos ejemplares la lamina 1a. lleva unos rasgos alrededor de las letras dentro de la orla’ – Cotarelo, p.68. The other variant is reproduced in Ars Hispanae. Vol XVIII, section ‘Grabado’, p.278. The impression is printed askew on the leaf in our copy, suggesting a proof. 180 x 258mm. [plate mark]. 2. From the second part. Cotarelo p.69, n.8a (reproduced). 180 x 258mm. 3. From the second part. Dated 25 April 1625. Cotarelo p.70 n.29. 142 x 21mm., margins cut. 4. From the second part. Cotarelo p.71, n.33. 142 x 178mm. 5. From the second part. Dated Madrid 24 July, 1624. Cotarelo p.71, n.36. 142 x 212mm. 6. Engraved title plate to the third part dated 1627. Cotarelo p.72, n.1. 166 x 245mm. 7. From the third part. Dated 1625. Cotarelo p.73, n.12 (reproduced). 268 x 177mm. 8. From the third part. Cotarelo p.73, n.15 (engraving in one whole; there is a variant with the engraving divided in two parts). 172 x 162mm. Eight attractive and representative plates by the greatest master calligrapher of his day, of the utmost rarity in institutions, and probably all-but unprocurable today.