La Commedia de Dante Allighieri Illustra da Ugo Foscolo. Londra: Pietro Rolandi, 1842.
The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri. Illustrated by Ugo Foscolo. London: Pietro Rolandi, 1842-3, large 8vo, a.e.g.
FIRST EDITION OF FOSCOLO'S IMPORTANT EDITION OF DANTE'S DIVINE COMEDY. BEAUTIFULLY BOUND IN FULL VELLUM. VERY RARE WITH NO COPIES HELD IN THE UNITED STATES.
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An absolutely stunning set of Dante's Divine Comedy, containing Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise, in the original Italian text. Beautifully finely bound in full vellum with all edges gilt in notably excellent condition. 19th century sets of Dante's works are very scarce, especially in such excellent near contemporary bindings as with this set. Truly one of the best obtainable sets of Dante's magnum opus in its original language from one of the most important editions - the first edition of the Foscolo edition. Rather incredibly this edition was in fact printed in London.
VERY RARE. WorldCat records just four copies held institutionally worldwide, with just two in the UK and NO COPIES IN THE UNITED STATES. We could trace a single sales record only for this set, selling at Christie's 17th June 2004 lot 371 realising 2,728 EUR, or the modern equivalent of approx 4,700 EUR or approx £4,000 (GBP) or $5,000 USD.
Foscolo began working on his edition of Dante as early as 1820, but it was not published until after his death in 1842-3. The first volume contains Foscolo's Discourse on the text of Dante's poem, the second contains Inferno (Hell), the third contains Purgatory and Paradise, and the fourth contains the Chronology and Information on Dante, as well as the indexes.
Size: 154 x 230 mm (approx., each)
Condition:
[half title, frontis, t.p., xxx, half title, 467pp.]; [half title, t.p., 395pp.]; [half title, frontis, t.p., 560pp.]; [half title, 2 plates, t.p., 418pp.]
Near contemporary full vellum bindings finely tooled in gilt with tooled red and olive morocco labels to the spine. All bindings secure with all boards very secure, all volumes without shelf lean. Externally near fine to fine, with labels slightly chipped, and spines very slightly rubbed, else fine. All edges gilt, all very good or better. No attached bookplates. Ink ownership inscriptions to initial blanks, else internally exceptionally clean. Indeed, each text block is in fine condition, and collated as complete.
Almost certainly the greatest obtainable copy of this very scarce first Foscolo edition of Dante.
[OCLC 1166777541].
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