Dingley 600; Lennox-Boyd, pp. 165-88; Podeschi, Mellon Collection 57; Nissen ZBI 4027; Ray, England, p.6; Norman 2032 (later issue); Garrison-Morton 308.1 - photo 1
Dingley 600; Lennox-Boyd, pp. 165-88; Podeschi, Mellon Collection 57; Nissen ZBI 4027; Ray, England, p.6; Norman 2032 (later issue); Garrison-Morton 308.1 - photo 2
Dingley 600; Lennox-Boyd, pp. 165-88; Podeschi, Mellon Collection 57; Nissen ZBI 4027; Ray, England, p.6; Norman 2032 (later issue); Garrison-Morton 308.1 - photo 3
Dingley 600; Lennox-Boyd, pp. 165-88; Podeschi, Mellon Collection 57; Nissen ZBI 4027; Ray, England, p.6; Norman 2032 (later issue); Garrison-Morton 308.1 - photo 4

Dingley 600; Lennox-Boyd, pp. 165-88; Podeschi, Mellon Collection 57; Nissen ZBI 4027; Ray, England, p.6; Norman 2032 (later issue); Garrison-Morton 308.1

Lot 83
28.11.2023 14:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 7 620
AuctioneerSotheby´s
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1076606
Lot 83 | Dingley 600; Lennox-Boyd, pp. 165-88; Podeschi, Mellon Collection 57; Nissen ZBI 4027; Ray, England, p.6; Norman 2032 (later issue); Garrison-Morton 308.1
Estimate value
£ 10 000 – 15 000
Torquato Tasso

La Gerusalemme liberata. Venice: Stampata da Giambattista Albrizzi, 1745

FIRST EDITION with these illustrations, LARGE PAPER COPY, folio (465 x 325mm.), half-title, title printed in red and black with engraved vignette, engraved allegorical frontispiece, engraved portrait of the dedicatee, Empress Maria Theresa, by Felix Polanzani after Giambattista Piazzetta; 20 plates with ornamental borders, 20 pictorial head-pieces and 20 culs-de-lampe (5 full-page), full-page double portrait of Piazzetta and Albrizzi at end, all engraved by M. Schedl after Piazzetta, numerous engraved historiated initials, SPLENDID CONTEMPORARY MARBLED CALF, VERY PROBABLY A PRESENTATION BINDING BY THE PUBLISHER, covers ornately gilt with wide gilt frame and cornerpieces, large oval center-piece, spine gilt in compartments, two red morocco labels, densely gilt turn-ins, Albrizzi’s special daubed endpapers, gilt edges, binding slightly rubbed and expertly restored

ONE OF THE FINEST ILLUSTRATED BOOKS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY, a wonderful, oversized Venetian printing of a great Italian classic, which the normally reserved Graesse describes as a “magnificent edition in regards to the printing and the paper: the 20 plates and the headpieces by Piazzetta are beyond all praise”.

The engravings are highly detailed, romantic Rococo illustrations of a major artist, Giambatista Piazzetta (1682-1754). Palluchini (as reported by Benezit) comments on the “subtle unity and vibrant luminosity” of Piazzetta’s chiaroscuro, and he remarks that “Piazzetta’s striking use of light, together with the bold compositions and handling seen in some of his works, make him an important precursor of Tiepolo.” As for the author, Britannica says it as well as anyone: in his Jerusalem Delivered, Tasso (1544-1595) “aimed at ennobling the Italian epic style by preserving strict unity of plot and heightening poetic diction. He chose Virgil for his model, took the first crusade for [his] subject, [and] infused the fervour of religion into his conception of the hero Godfrey.” But his inclination toward romance clashed with his original epical intentions, and the work became a classic early example of the poetry of sentiment. “This sentiment, refined, noble, natural, steeped in melancholy, exquisitely graceful, pathetically touching, breathes throughout the episodes of the ‘Gerusalemme,’ finds metrical expression in the languishing cadence of its mellifluous verse, and sustains the ideal life of those seductive heroines whose names were familiar as household words to all Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries”. Unfortunately, the work, while still in manuscript, was condemned by contemporary critics on both religious and literary grounds, and the sensitive and conscientious author suffered a nervous breakdown, was later visited by a violent insanity, and was confined for seven years. When he was released, he discovered that his masterpiece had been published and that he was now famous. He was to have received the laurel crown with which Petrarch alone had been honoured, but he died just before the presentation.

A few other copies are known to exist in this same splendid binding, a fact that strongly suggests they came from the publisher and were intended for dedicatees.
Address of auction Sotheby´s
34-35 New Bond Street
W1A 2AA London
United Kingdom
Preview
28.11.2023
Phone +44 (0) 20 7293 5000
Phone +1 212 606 7000
Email
4FQ.AE2YUKFA@AYGLGHC3Y@
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

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.