WITH DELLA BELLA'S STRIKING ETCHINGS INFLUENCED BY CALLOT Descrizione delle feste fatte in Firenze per la canonizzazione di S.to Andrea Corsini Description of the festivities held in Florence for the canonization of St. Andrea Corsini
54765Florence: nella Stamperia di Zanobi Pignoni 1632. Quarto 20.8 × 15 cm. Contemporary limp vellum; 8 86 2 pp. including printed half-title etched pictorial title as well as the final leaf containing woodcut devite of Giorgio Marescotti errata and colophon; historiated initials on pp. 6 8 and 1. Illustrated throughout with twenty etchings by Stefano della Bella. Later manuscript title to spine in pencil; very minor wear to edges of boards; tiny closed tear to margin of title; p. 79/80 with small closed tear to margin; else a very good wide-margined copy. First edition of this rare work documenting the festivities for the canonization of St. Andrea Corsini which had already taken place in 1629. Pignoni's preface makes it clear that its appearance was delayed because of the outbreak of the bubonic plague in 1629 to 1631. The large-scale event included a festive procession into Santa Maria del Carmine as depicted on the title page. The church was richly adorned and decorated including a series of twenty paintings depicting scenes from Corsini's life and various miracles attributed to him explained by poems by Alessandro Adimari; the event also included musical accompaniment including by the famous organist and composer Girolamo Frescobaldi. The present work is illustrated with Stefano della Bella's etched interpretations of the original paintings. Measuring ca. 9.5 × 10.5 cm the etchings are printed within the text. Each scene features a decorative border as well as a combination of an engraved motto and allegorical motif inside a cartouche at the bottom. The accompanying text describes at length the various sonnets mottos and other words displayed during the festivities dwelling on various emblems symbols and anagrams that shed further light on the life and miracles of Saint Corsini. The author was the Florentine priest Benedetto Buommattei or Buonmattei 1581-1648 a member of the Accademia della Crusca as well as Professor of Tuscan first at Pisa and then at Florence where he also lectured on Dante and met John Milton in 1638. He also authored the important "Della lingua toscana" 1613.<br /> <br /> The striking etchings are unsigned and were long attributed to Jacques Callot who was active in Florence between 1612 and 1621. De Vesme later established them to have been the work of a still very young Stefano della Bella 1610-1664. They depict key episodes in the life of Andrea Corsini 1301-1374 the Bishop of Fiesole at his time of death whose reputation for saintliness was based in part on his heroic works of mercy during the 1347 outbreak of the plague in Florence. A procession with his relics still takes place each year in Florence on his feast day.<br /> <br /> Cicognara 1439. Gamba 2750. De Vesme/Massar Stefano Della Bella 884-904. Getty Festival Collection 94-B8960 online catalog. unknown
Penka Rare Books and Archives · Allemagne12 000,00 €
