1685 FINE ART PAINTING HISTORY RENAISSANCE VASARI ITALY

PAINTING ILLUSTRATED

in three diallogues, containing some choice observations upon the art together with the Lives of the most Eminent Painters, from Cimabue, to the time of Raphael and Michael Angelo. 

With an  explanation of the difficult terms 

by

WILLIAM AGLIONBY

London, printed by John Gain for the Author, to be sold by Walter Kettilby, 1685

Description

• FIRST EDITION, small 4to, 240 x 185 mm, 9½ x 7¼ inches, title page printed red and black, a few pictorial headpieces and initial letters, pages (36), 375, (1), with imprimatur leaf preceding title page but LACKING A SINGLE LEAF BETWEEN TITLE PAGE AND DEDICATION LEAF which was blank on recto and carried the salutation of the Dedication on verso (singleton chi1), otherwise guaranteed complete in spite of some irregular pagination, present in all copies, handsomely bound in full modern panelled calf with blind stamped decoration to covers, gilt decorated raised bands, gilt decoration in compartments, gilt lettered morocco label, all edges red, new endpapers. 

Condition

• Pale damp staining to Imprimatur leaf, small neat old repair to lower outer corner and fore-edge of title page and 1 prelim page, plus 2 small closed margin tears to title page neatly repaired on reverse with archival tape, an occasional small light stain to margins, small ink stain to 1 margin (image 8), 2 facing pages slightly dusty, small pale damp stain to fore-edge margin of last 6 leaves, tip of 1 lower corner missing.  Binding tight and firm, a very good clean copy (lacking 1 prelim page as noted). 

Comment

• The Dialogues are preceded by 5 pages of Explanation of some Terms of the Art of Painting.  The first dialogue explains the art of painting, the second relates the history of it, both ancient and modern, and the third teaches how to know good pictures.  These dialogues provide the first systematic treatise on the history and criticism of painting in English.  They are followed (page 125-375) by descriptions of the lives of 10 Italian painters: Cimabue, Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, Andrea del Sarto, Raphael, Giorgione, Michelangelo, Giulio Romano, Pierino del Vago, Titian plus the Italian scuptor Donatello.  These Lives are abridgements of the famous Lives of the Artists by Giorgio Vasari first published in Italy in 1550.  Aglionby's versions represent the first translation into English of that seminal work. 

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