Details
COLONNA, Francesco (1433-1527, O.P.). Hypnerotomachia Poliphili. Venice: Aldus Manutius for Leonardus Crassus, December 1499.
Aldine 2° (300 x 195 mm). Collation: π4 (title, dedication and other preliminary texts, here missing); a-y8 z10 (a1r second title Poliphili Hypnerotomachia, ubi humana omnia non nisi somnium esse ostendit, atque obiter plurima scitu saneque digna commemorat, a2r bk. I, incipit: Phoebo in quel hora manando, z10v blank); A-E8 F4 (A1r bk. II, incipit: Le mie debile voce table o gratiose & dive Nymphe absone perveneranno, F4r errata and colophon here in facsimile). 227 leaves only (of 234; lacking the first four leaves, a8 and c8 and F4 in facsimile). Mostly roman type 2:114 cut by Francesco Griffo, occasional Greek and Hebrew. 172 woodcuts including 11 full-page illustrations (a few touched with colour, one in facsimile), 39 woodcut initials printed from 17 blocks form an acrostic including Franciscus Columna's name. (r4.5 and A8 repaired and from another copy, a few small paper flaws, a tiny wormhole, minor stain at the end.) Blind-tooled crimson morocco, gilt border on turn-ins, gilt and marbled edges, by C. Hardy. Provenance: Alexander, Baron Peckover of Wisbech (1830-1919, bookplate).
FIRST EDITION of the most famous illustrated book of the Italian Renaissance. This treatise on the theory of art and aesthetics in the form of an allegorical love story was much influenced by the architectural works of Vitruvius and Alberti. (On the controversial authorship see Doheny sale catalogue I, 108 with references there.) The artist may have been Benedetto Bordone, but none of the numerous attributions is anything but speculative. HC *5501; GW 7223; BMC V, 561; Goff C-767; Essling 1198; Arnim 107. On account of the facsimile leaves, the copy is sold not subject to return.
Aldine 2° (300 x 195 mm). Collation: π4 (title, dedication and other preliminary texts, here missing); a-y8 z10 (a1r second title Poliphili Hypnerotomachia, ubi humana omnia non nisi somnium esse ostendit, atque obiter plurima scitu saneque digna commemorat, a2r bk. I, incipit: Phoebo in quel hora manando, z10v blank); A-E8 F4 (A1r bk. II, incipit: Le mie debile voce table o gratiose & dive Nymphe absone perveneranno, F4r errata and colophon here in facsimile). 227 leaves only (of 234; lacking the first four leaves, a8 and c8 and F4 in facsimile). Mostly roman type 2:114 cut by Francesco Griffo, occasional Greek and Hebrew. 172 woodcuts including 11 full-page illustrations (a few touched with colour, one in facsimile), 39 woodcut initials printed from 17 blocks form an acrostic including Franciscus Columna's name. (r4.5 and A8 repaired and from another copy, a few small paper flaws, a tiny wormhole, minor stain at the end.) Blind-tooled crimson morocco, gilt border on turn-ins, gilt and marbled edges, by C. Hardy. Provenance: Alexander, Baron Peckover of Wisbech (1830-1919, bookplate).
FIRST EDITION of the most famous illustrated book of the Italian Renaissance. This treatise on the theory of art and aesthetics in the form of an allegorical love story was much influenced by the architectural works of Vitruvius and Alberti. (On the controversial authorship see Doheny sale catalogue I, 108 with references there.) The artist may have been Benedetto Bordone, but none of the numerous attributions is anything but speculative. HC *5501; GW 7223; BMC V, 561; Goff C-767; Essling 1198; Arnim 107. On account of the facsimile leaves, the copy is sold not subject to return.