Le Transformationi [Metamorphoses]

1553

Italian 16th Century

Artist

Ovid

Author, Italian, 43 B.C. - 17/18 A.D.

Ludovico Dolce

Translator, Italian, 1508 - 1568

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bound volume with Giolito's phoenix device contained in border, woodcut world map and 94 woodcut illustrations (11 repetitions) and woodcut initials on blue paper; printer's device at end

  • Credit Line

    Purchased with Funds from an Anonymous Donor

  • Dimensions

    book: 21.5 × 16.4 × 1.8 cm (8 7/16 × 6 7/16 × 11/16 in.)

  • Accession

    2013.77.2

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Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Georges Heilbrun; acquired in 1976 by Arthur and Charlotte Vershbow, Boston; (sale, Christie's New York via Ursus Books, 09 April 2013, lot 270); purchased by Anonymus Donor; gift to NGA, 2013.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1967

  • Adams, Herbert Mayow. Catalogue of books printed on the continent of Europe, 1501-1600. Cambridge U.P, 1967: O-508.

Inscriptions

by later hands, on spine in graphite?: Les DOLCE (not deciphered); inside upper cover in blue pen upper right: 76-48-5; upper left in graphite: 624 / uplet (underlined) / [OVIDIUS] le transformationi / (translated by L Dolce) / ref Harvard-Mortimer 342 / (Auler 60-13-5 on white paper) / ref: ROBISON "PAPER IN PRINTS" page 33 (underlined) / (Nat. Gall. Art 1977); all underlined: "the earliest blue paper copy--- / of a true and fully illustrated book / (not underlined:) is Giolito's 1553 Ovid Transformationi" / this copy and the Harvard copy seem to be the only blue paper copies known; lower left: 678; first free end-paper upper right: 1553; center: firt issue - 1553; inside lower cover, center in graphite: (not deciphered) / 6 ff [?] 305 H [?] L.L. / Mt / AER

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