Horatius - Q. Horatii Flacci Opera cum quatuor commentariis - 1529

(Poetry; Bindings; Annotated copies) Q. Horatius Flaccus (65-8 B.C.)
Q. Horatii Flacci Opera cum quatuor commentariis, Acronis, Porphyrionis, Antonii Mancinelli, Iodoci Badii, Anno M.D.XXIX repositis. Cum adnotationibus Matthaei Bonfinis, & Aldi Manutii Philologo recognitis, susq; locis infertis, & ad finem ex integro restitutis.No place [Paris], venundantur Badio (Jodocus Badius Ascensius), 1529
Folio (330 x 220); [VI], CCLXXXVIII leaves, signature: aa1-6, a-z1-8, A-N1-8; magnificently engraved title page,printed in red & black , the famous Badius large printer’s device inscribed into ornamental frame, finely woodcut initials, ownership signature (Alexandre de Fougy) on free leaf, dated 1689, repeated on title page. A truly fascinating copy, in a contemporary blindstamped brown calf on wooden boards (clasps missing), profusely annotated by ancient hands .Title page a little soiled, some waterstains in places, last free leaf strengthened, nice copy on crisp paper.
Complete works by Horace, with the commentary by Helenius Acron (3rd century AD), Porphyry of Tyre (c. 234 - c. 305 AD), Antonio Mancinelli (1452 - 1505) and the printer himself, Jodocus Badius (1462-1535) and with contributions by Matteo Bonfini (c. 1441-?) and Aldo Manuzio (1449/1452-1515). One of the several XVI century editions with multiple commentaries, a typographycally remarkable production. Jodocus Badius Ascensius (Josse Bade), a teacher of Greek for several years and a scholar, opened his own printer house in Paris and specialized in classical texts in Latin: “Le premier ouvrage daté sorti de son atelier, ... paraît le 15 mars 1503. En trente-deux ans, il publiera plus de 750 éditions ...” (Renouard, p. 8). The printer’s mark, Praelum ascensianum, on title page is dated 1520 and, according to Butsch, was designed by Albrecht Dürer; it was used for the last time but one for the present edition (it appears only once afterwards, in 1531) and according to Renouard it is the 4th state of the 2nd mark of Bade (marque II, État IV) (Renouard, pag. 20). A nice, uncommon edition in an intriguing contemporary binding.
REF. Schweiger, vol. II, p. 392; Philippe Renouard, Imprimeurs & Libraires Parisiens du XVIe Siècle, Paris, 1969, Vol. II, pp. 6-24, n. 618 and plates B5-B6; A. F. Butsch Die Bücher-Ornamentik, der Hoch- und Spätrenaissance, 1881, t. II, pl. 17 (cited by Renouard, p. 20).