Anton Francesco Doni - I Marmi or The Marbles - 1552

BEAUTIFUL FIRST EDITION 1552, of the major work of Anton Francesco DONI (1513-1574); "I Marmi or The Marbles", work set in Renaissance Florence and richly illustrated with 44 woodcut illustrations in the text, including the portraits of DONI, Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374), Francesco Marcolini (1500-1553) and Giovan Battista Gelli (1498-1563). "The Marbles" is a series of imaginary dialogues between numerous figures, historical and fictional, conversing and arguing on the marble steps of Florence's Cathedral (Duomo di Firenze) over a wide range of subjects, including contemporary economics, printing, literature and history. Rich iconographic set composed of numerous illustrations within the text and some full-page, many ornamental vignettes and drop caps. Pages and antique binding are in good condition as per photo. RARE FIRST EDITION and COMPLETE.

The illustrations are by Giuseppe Porta, known as Salviati (1520-1575) a painter, who often worked in Venice as an engraver for the same printer (Francesco Marcolini) as this edition; Cicognara 115:«In this edition, the very graceful woodcuts [...] which were carved by a very masterly hand are to be considered of great value», probably that of Giuseppe Salviati, an artist from Titian's circle. Salviati, was also appreciated by Giorgio Vasari, who included it in his work Lives of Painters, Sculptors etc...The protagonists of this book are commoners, intellectuals and artists, who with their speeches and Salviati's illustrations allow the reader to enter the Florence of Cosimo I de' Medici (1519-1574) and of the mid-sixteenth century. The four parts of this "Marmi or Marbles", forming a single volume, were probably also sold separately. The fourth part reproduces the frontispiece of the Inferni (Hells), the imminent publication of which (1553) is announced, and provides a summary of the contents: this is probably the first example, in the history of printing, of the editorial launch of a work through the reproduction of its title within another.

Description: in 4to size, height 217 x width 170 mm or 8.5 by 6.7 inches. 4 parts in 1 volume, pages 167, [1]; 119, [1]; 166, [2]; 93, [3], complete. Each part with its own title page and colophon, with beautiful illustrations. Eighteenth-century full parchment binding in very good condition, with gold titles on the spine and red edges. Handwritten annotations, partially erased, on the frontispiece, on the back of the back flyleaf and on the back cover. Text enriched with headers, initials and numerous illustrations, including full-page, in wood. Pages are white and in good condition, with some stains and oxidation here and there, especially on the first and last pages. The engraving work, of great finesse, shows great details in the illustrations and excellent contrast and sharpness. RARE FIRST EDITION COMPLETE WITH ALL THE ILLUSTRATIONS.

Title: I marmi del Doni academico peregrino...(The marbles of the Doni academic pilgrim...). Published by Francesco Marcolini in Venice, MDLII (1552). Text in Italian and Latin.

References: Adams, D-824; Brunet II, 813; R. Mortimer, Harvard College Library... Italian 16th-Century Books, Cambridge, MA, 1974, no. 165; Cicognara 115; B. Gamba, no. 1368; Edit 16, CNCE17692; Universal STC, no. 827617; Casali, op. cit., no. 95; C. Ricottini Marsili-Libelli, Anton Francesco Doni scrittore e stampatore, Florence, 1960, no. 40.

Author: Anton Francesco Doni (1513-1574) was an Italian man of letters, editor and translator. In 1552 he published "I Mondi", a novel inspired by Thomas More's Utopia (1516), which Doni himself had published in Venice in 1548 in the translation from Latin by Ortensio Lando. Doni's "I Mondi" is considered one of the Renaissance utopian works that foreshadowed Italian science fiction literature. Endowed with a polemical nature, he entered into violent disputes with Domenichi and Aretino, previously his close friends. He wrote most of his works in the city of Venice.

Shipping: via UPS, protected, INSURED and fully tracked package. Estimated time for Europe 3-5 working days. Shipping within one working day. You can combine shipping if you purchases several items from us, saving money and time.