Commentationes conditae a Philippo Beroaldo in Suetonium Tranquillum, Peter Falck's copy - photo 1
Commentationes conditae a Philippo Beroaldo in Suetonium Tranquillum, Peter Falck's copy - photo 2
Commentationes conditae a Philippo Beroaldo in Suetonium Tranquillum, Peter Falck's copy - photo 3

Commentationes conditae a Philippo Beroaldo in Suetonium Tranquillum, Peter Falck's copy

Sold
$ 25 200
Auction dateClassic
07.12.2022 10:00UTC -04:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
USA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 859580
Lot 8 | Commentationes conditae a Philippo Beroaldo in Suetonium Tranquillum, Peter Falck's copy
SUETONIUS TRANQUILLUS, Gaius (69-after 122) and BEROALDO, Filippo (1453-1505). Commentationes conditae a Philippo Beroaldo in Suetonium Tranquillum. Venice: Philippus Pincius, 18 February 1510.

Hand-colored, illustrated edition of Beroaldo's commentary on Suetonius from the library of Swiss humanist Peter Falck.This is the second illustrated Suetonius, whose Lives of the Twelve Caesars was an important albeit lurid source of Roman Imperial history, with woodcuts originally cut for Rubeus's 1506 edition, including the first known woodcut to depict a Caesarian section. This copy is from the library of the humanist Peter Falck, a native of Fribourg who served as papal diplomat to Pope Julius II, allowing him to build one of the finest libraries of the Swiss Renaissance. This book was bound for him at the Franciscan convent by Fr. Rolet Stos with his arms stamped on the boards, as well as notes by him, including his signature, "Petri Falck & Amicorum." The verses by Ausonius written on the flyleaf, possibly in the hand of Falck, belong to the tradition of Suetonius in print. Although they did not appear in the first edition printed by Lignamine in 1470, they were printed in the Sweynheym and Pannartz edition of 1470 and appeared regularly in Suetonius editions thereafter, although not attributed in print to Ausonius until the Bologna edition of about 1477

Falck's library passed to his daughter Ursula before being divided by her two sons. Each half then descended through the family (including to the d' Estavayer de Mollondins) until the late 17th century when many, but not all, books were given to the Capuchin convent in Fribourg. This copy was later owned by Charles Harold St John Hornby, founder of the Ashendene Press, which like the Kelmscott Press aspired to revive the spirit of 15th-century printing in contemporary book arts. A wonderful example of a hand-colored and illustrated text from antiquity, from the libraries of important collectors of both the Renaissance and the Victorian period. Adams S-2028; Essling 209; Sander 7144; Flodr Suetonius 5. See A. Wagner, Peter Falcks Bibliothek, 1926, for a list of 131 volumes containing 269 works, primarily those in the Capuchin convent.

Folio (320 x 212mm). Greek and Roman types. Title woodcut depicting birth of Julius Caesar and other woodcuts throughout, all with contemporary hand-coloring; woodcut initials (occasional light browning, a few blank corners torn away). Contemporary Swiss blind-tooled pigskin over wooden boards with two armorial stamps of Peter Falck on sides and clasps, probably executed in Fribourg at the Franciscan convent by Fr. Rolet Stos or his successors (joints neatly repaired). Provenance: Peter Falck, 1468-1519 (binding and inscription, by descent to:) – François-Pierre-Louis, chevalier de Mollondin, 1681-1736 (signature) – Charles Harold St John Hornby, 1867-1946 (bookplate) – Charles Clive Bigham, 2nd Viscount Mersey, 1872-1956 (Bignor Park bookplate) – Giannalisa Feltrinelli (bookplate, her sale, 7 October 1997, lot 104).
Place of origin:Italy
Category:Printed book
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
20 Rockefeller Plaza
10020 New York
USA
Preview
23.11.2022 – 07.12.2022
Phone +1 212 636 2000
Fax +1 212 636 4930
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase
Shipping Postal service
Courier service
pickup by yourself
Payment methods Wire Transfer
Business hoursBusiness hours
Mo 09:30 – 17:00   
Tu 09:30 – 17:00   
We 09:30 – 17:00   
Th 09:30 – 17:00   
Fr 09:30 – 17:00   
Sa closed
Su closed

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.