Comedia Di Danthe Alighieri poeta divino: co¯l'espositione di Christophoro la¯dino: nuovame¯te impressa: e con somma dilige¯tia revista & eme¯data: & di nuovissime postille adornata.
(Sta¯pato in Venetia: per Iacob del Burgofra¯co, Pavese. Ad insta¯tia del nobile messere Lucantonio giu¯ta, Fiorentino.), M D XXIX
Physical Description
[12], CCXCV, [1] f.: illus.; 300 mm. (Octavo.)
General Note
The Registro reads, 'AA BB a b c d e f g h i k l m n o p q r s t u x y z & ? R A B C D E F G H I K L Tutti sono quaderni: excetto AA BB che sono terni.' The last leaf, L[8], is blank.
Contents
[T.p.] - Comento Di Christophoro Landino Fiorentino Sopra La Comedia Di Danthe ... Proemio - [Text]; Il Credo (Pater Nostro) (Ave Maria) Di Danthe; Registro; [colophon].
Responsibility Note
No illustration is signed.
The publishers' names are provided by the colophon, which reads, 'Fine Del Comento Di Christophoro Landino Fiorentino, sopra la Comedia di Danthe Alighieri Fiorentino, Poeta excellentissimo: nuovamente con grande diligentia revisto, & emendato: & d'infiniti errori purgato. Sta¯pato in Venetia per Iacob del Burgofra¯co, Pavese. Ad insta¯tia del nobile messere Lucantonio giu¯ta, Fiore¯tino. Nellanno del nostro signor. M.D.XXIX. A di. XXIII. di Genaro.'
References
Harvard College Library Department Of Printing And Graphic Arts Catalogue Of Books And Manuscripts Part II: Italian 16th Century Books, Compiled by Ruth Mortimer Volume I (1974), no. 145, p.205-207.
Sandro Botticelli The Drawings for Dante's Divine Comedy [Royal Academy exhibition catalogue] (2001); E.P. Nassar, Illustrations to Dante's Inferno (1999); Dantes Göttliche Komödie In Sieben Jahrhunderten geschrieben, gedruckt, illustriert [exhibition catalogue] (1988). On the portrait of Dante see F.J. Mather, The portraits of Dante (1921); R.T. Holbrook, Portraits of Dante from Giotto to Raffael (1911).
Summary Note
In this edition the text of the Divina Commedia is printed surrounded by extensive commentary in smaller type. Landino's commentary had first been published in 1481.
The title is surrounded by an elaborate architectural border showing (top) a musician bowing a stringed instrument, (left) Vergil and other Latin poets, (right) Dante and other Italian poets, (bottom) the nine Muses flanking the initials 'L. A.' (i.e. Luca Antonio?) and a Florentine lily (the printers' device of the Giunta). The verso of the title page shows a portrait of Dante. Each canto is accompanied by one illustration (the first illustration for each of the three books being larger than those for the other cantos). These illustrations had first appeared in the 1491 edition (Venice: Bernardino Benali and Matthio da Parma); some of which (those of Inferno I-XIX) seem to be derived from those in the edition of 1481; which, in turn, were based on drawings by Botticelli.
The work will have been acquired by the Royal Academy primarily as a source of themes for artists. The poem stimulated the creative imagination of such artists as Signorelli, Botticelli and Michelangelo; and at a later period the sublimity of its themes would attract John Flaxman and William Blake. Later illustrators include D. G. Rosetti, Delacroix, Doré and Rodin.
Provenance
The title page and leaf CCXCV are inscribed in ink, 'Anto manuel'.
Copy Note
Imperfect: lacks leaf [12] (BB[6]) and the last, blank leaf (L[8]). The title-sign 'Danthe' present on all signed leaves is missing from leaf d2 in this and some other copies.
The verso of leaf CCXCV is inscribed in ink, 'Bellegarde'.
Binding Note
18th-century (?) calf, upper and lower covers decorated in gilt with a coat of arms centre, crosses at top corners and stars at lower corners; rebacked in 20th century, retaining earlier gilt-decorated spine-piece lettered 'Comedia Di Landino'.
Future life - Heaven - Hell - Purgatory - Christian art and symbolism
Italian poetry - 14th century
Commentaries - Italy - 16th century
Illustrated books - Pictorial works - Armorial bindings - Italy - 16th century