Oak Knoll

First Quarto edition, with the text printed in two parts (of three, lacking the Spanish translation): Italian (by De Rossi) and French (by De Lama). French title PEINTURES D'ANTONIO ALLEGRI SURNOMMÉ LE CORREGE QUI EXISTENT A PARME DANS LE COUVENT DE SAINT PAUL (A Parme Dans Le Palais Royal, Avec Les Caracteres de Bodoni). Brooks 775; Lester, pp. 133-134. Rubbed along hinges, with some shelfwear along edges. Scattered rubbing to the marbled paper covered boards. Very minor foxing throughout. A small bump to the fore-edge of the front and rear boards near the top corner.

Contains thirty-four engraved plates reproducing frescoes by the famed Renaissance painter Correggio executed in 1519 at the Monastero de San Paolo in Parma. This particular copy contains non-stipple printed engravings, which is particularly scarce. Folding engraving showing placement of frescos (of which in this copy the plate is bound between pages XXX and XXXI of the Italian section). The engravings were done by Francesco Rosaspina after the Portuguese artist Francisco Vieira. Dedicated to the recently married Louis of Bourbon-Parma and the Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain. Although the Duke of Parma first approved the project in 1790, the artists were not allowed into the Camera di San Paolo until 1795. They spent one full day in the room recording the frescoes. The drawings were to have been sent to Rome for engraving by Raffaello Sanzio Morghen. Much to the dissatisfaction of Bodoni's patron, Morghen could not take on the project. Bodoni instead selected his friend Francesco Rosaspina, who had been one of the artists allowed into the Camera in 1795. Despite the disparaging comments of his patron, Bodoni's choice was a wise one- the finished result is beautiful. One of Bodoni's most sophisticated and exceptional works.