Details
[GRASSI, Orazio (1590-1654)]. 'Lothario Sarsi'. Libra astronomica ac philosophica qua Galilaei Galilaei opiniones de cometis ... examinantur. Perugia: Marco Naccarini, 1619. 4° (193 x 138mm). Engraved vignette of one of the 1618 comets on title, woodcuts in text. Modern vellum (lower cover lightly soiled).
FIRST EDITION of Grassi's attack on Galileo's theory of comets, which had been expressed under his disciple Mario Guiducci's name in his Discorso of 1619. The work provoked the 'controversy of the comets' and a wealth of published attacks between the scientists, culminating in Galileo's Il Saggiatore. RARE: according to ABPC, only two copies have sold at auction in the last 30 years: the Streeter copy, Christie's New York, 16 April 2007, lot 235; and the Honeyman copy, sold Sotheby's New York, 6 November 1979, lot 1539. Carli-Favaro 17 (81); Cinti 139 (64); De Caro 88; Honeyman IV 1539; Riccardi I 628.
FIRST EDITION of Grassi's attack on Galileo's theory of comets, which had been expressed under his disciple Mario Guiducci's name in his Discorso of 1619. The work provoked the 'controversy of the comets' and a wealth of published attacks between the scientists, culminating in Galileo's Il Saggiatore. RARE: according to ABPC, only two copies have sold at auction in the last 30 years: the Streeter copy, Christie's New York, 16 April 2007, lot 235; and the Honeyman copy, sold Sotheby's New York, 6 November 1979, lot 1539. Carli-Favaro 17 (81); Cinti 139 (64); De Caro 88; Honeyman IV 1539; Riccardi I 628.
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