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292 - VITRUVIUS (Marcus Vitruvius Pollio). M. Vitruvii Pollionis *…
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Estimate €500 - €800
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Description
VITRUVIUS (Marcus Vitruvius Pollio). M. Vitruvii Pollionis *De Architectura* *libri decem ad Caesarem Augustum*, far superior to all other editions, collated with the ancient texts. A precious illustrated edition of the "De Architectura", carefully printed in Lyon by Jean de Tournes and enriched with annotations by Guillaume Philandrier. Lyon, Jean de Tournes, 1552. Small quarto (220 x 158 mm). 19th-century flamed sheepskin binding, plain spine adorned with a red mosaic morocco patch and rich decoration in small gilt metalwork. (Binding signed Davet, bookbinder in Auch). 8 unnumbered folios + 447 pp. + 28 unnumbered folios (including Epitome, Index, Errata, privilege and printer’s mark). Slight rubbing, minor scuffing, small tear at the top of both spines. Corners slightly worn. Interior fresh, with slight water stains, more pronounced on the first and last leaves. Second Lyon edition of this seminal work on the history of Western architecture, produced by Jean de Tournes based on the edition published in Strasbourg in 1550 by Georg Messerschmidt. The latter had drawn upon the Florentine edition of 1513 (Giunta) and on the Annotationes by Guillaume Philandrier, published in Rome in 1544 and then in Paris in 1545. Tournes incorporates these annotations, removing the earlier, disparate illustrations, and presents them in a fluid manner by placing them before Vitruvius’s text, in an exemplary typographical layout (text in roman type, comments in italics). Illustrated with 83 wood-engraved figures within the text, this edition is distinguished by its depictions of machines, architectural details, plans, etc., printed here in their first edition. Among the most remarkable are the large figures on pages 115–116, the four views of the Circus, as well as the marbles of the Lateran and Modena. Several woodcuts are attributed to Bernard Salomon, known as ‘the Younger Bernard’, a regular collaborator of the Tournes publishing house. A sought-after edition both for the quality of its typographical composition and for its intellectual contribution, as Philandrier expanded the critical apparatus by a third compared to previous editions. A landmark work in the humanist reception of ancient architecture. References: Frédérique Lemerle (CNRS, Tours, CESR), 2022.
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About the sale Fine antique and collectible books, manuscripts and modern illustrated works
Auction location
Auction time 06/29/2026 at 2:00 PM
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