1dlphcoracl
Raphael's Bible. Imagines Veteris ac Novi Testamenti a Raphaele Sanctio Urbinate in Vaticani Palatii Xystis Expressae by Pietro Aquila and Cesare Fantetti, Giovanni Giacomo De Rossi (Rome) publisher, 1675.
Many book collectors on the LT Fine Press Forum greatly prize modern private press books with outstanding illustrations and an interest in wood engravings and woodcuts has recently been expressed by several. This is a collection of illustrations (copper engravings) of unusual beauty without associated text. They are derived from the magnificent paintings in the Loggia di Raffaello (aka The Raphael Rooms) in the Vatican Museum.
In 1510, Raphael (1483-1520) was commissioned by Pope Julius II to paint frescos for a room in the Vatican. He returned at the invitation of Leo X to decorate the walls and ceilings of the Loggia in the Papal Palace. Raphael's plan for the Loggia included paintings for thirteen bays (twelve with the Old Testament and one with the New Testament) with fifty-two panels using cloister vaults instead of domes. Each bay focuses on one aspect of the Bible, e.g., Genesis, Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, etc., with four distinct paintings in each bay. Cumulatively, these paintings are known as Raphael's Bible. Raphael devised the scheme and drawings for the first eight spans. Much of the work was executed by eleven disciples of Raphael from his workshop.
The Loggia di Raffaello is located at the very end of the long Vatican Museum corridor on the second floor of the museum, directly across from the Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's famous ceiling paintings and allegorical wall painting 'The Last Judgement' on the back wall directly behind the altar. For several centuries the frescoes in the Raphael Rooms were more celebrated and famous than Michelanagelo's paintings in the Sistine Chapel. It is a persistent source of amusement and amazement to me that visitors to the Vatican Museum will make a beeline to the Sistine Chapel, spend hours standing shoulder to shoulder gazing up at the ceiling with barely room to breathe, then exit the museum without bothering to walk across the hallway to visit Raphael's magnificent paintings. (see link)
https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/loggia-of-raphael
Well over a century after Raphael's paintings and frescos were completed, a set of 55 engraved copper plates derived from the Loggia di Raffaello were created by Pietro Aquila and Cesare Fantetti. 52 of these plates reproduced Raphael's paintings, one plate is a dedication title to Queen Christina of Sweden, one is a dedication leaf to Raphael and one is an allegorical frontispiece. They were first published cumulatively by Giovanni Giacomo De Rossi in 1674/1675. Although it is not difficult to find several of the copper engravings sold separately, it is extremely rare to find a complete set of all 55 copper engravings with only one such set seen at auction over the past 50 years.
Collector's Notes: In talking with the director of the book section from the auction house that initially acquired this set, it did not come from a renowned collection nor was it descended through a well-connected family for generations. Rather, it was found in a damp, musty, chaotic attic of someone recently deceased by relatives who assumed responsibility for clearing out the house's belongings and settling the estate. The woman who stumbled upon this set of copper engravings thought they looked "interesting" and brought them to this auction house for appraisal. The illustrations remained bound but were completely lacking binding covers and backstrip, with the marbled paper endplates barely attached. This is a classic Antiques Road Show type of finding. Perhaps most remarkable, nearly all of the 55 copper engravings were in exceptional condition, with minimal toning at the margins, complete absence of foxing, and no water damage. Aside from 2 or 3 wormholes in the margins of plates 51 and 52 this is a flawless set.
Because I collect almost exclusively modern private press books from 1890 to present day, the decision with regard to how to properly rebind these copper engravings had me baffled and every idea I conceived was inadequate and short-lived. I finally came up with the best idea of all - I gave Sophie Schneideman (London) a call, sent eight photos of the illustrations to her, and asked her for suggestions and advice. For those unfamiliar with the Sophie Schneideman Gallery, few London booksellers are as knowledgeable and her taste is impeccable. It took Sophie all of thirty seconds to remark that I "must" send this to Trevor Lloyd Bookbinder (see link).
https://www.trevorlloyd.co.uk
Trevor Lloyd is a specialist in restoring and rebinding antiquarian books using authentic period binding designs spanning six centuries. He matches the binding design to the published date AND country of origin of each book using his vast knowledge and study of period binding designs from the 14th to the 20th centuries. His original research, scholarship and bookbinding craftsmanship were recognized and honored in 2015 by being awarded an MBE in the Queen's birthday honours for the craft of bookbinding and book restoration. After visiting the Retro Bindings section of his website and examining the 17th century samples, I fell in love with the binding referred to as Virginia Acts, 1680, because of its clean, elegant design. The book was then sent to Trevor Lloyd and after looking carefully at the set of copper engravings he enthusiastically seconded my choice.
Photos below.
Dedication page to Queen Christina
Dedication page to Raphael
Many book collectors on the LT Fine Press Forum greatly prize modern private press books with outstanding illustrations and an interest in wood engravings and woodcuts has recently been expressed by several. This is a collection of illustrations (copper engravings) of unusual beauty without associated text. They are derived from the magnificent paintings in the Loggia di Raffaello (aka The Raphael Rooms) in the Vatican Museum.
In 1510, Raphael (1483-1520) was commissioned by Pope Julius II to paint frescos for a room in the Vatican. He returned at the invitation of Leo X to decorate the walls and ceilings of the Loggia in the Papal Palace. Raphael's plan for the Loggia included paintings for thirteen bays (twelve with the Old Testament and one with the New Testament) with fifty-two panels using cloister vaults instead of domes. Each bay focuses on one aspect of the Bible, e.g., Genesis, Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, etc., with four distinct paintings in each bay. Cumulatively, these paintings are known as Raphael's Bible. Raphael devised the scheme and drawings for the first eight spans. Much of the work was executed by eleven disciples of Raphael from his workshop.
The Loggia di Raffaello is located at the very end of the long Vatican Museum corridor on the second floor of the museum, directly across from the Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's famous ceiling paintings and allegorical wall painting 'The Last Judgement' on the back wall directly behind the altar. For several centuries the frescoes in the Raphael Rooms were more celebrated and famous than Michelanagelo's paintings in the Sistine Chapel. It is a persistent source of amusement and amazement to me that visitors to the Vatican Museum will make a beeline to the Sistine Chapel, spend hours standing shoulder to shoulder gazing up at the ceiling with barely room to breathe, then exit the museum without bothering to walk across the hallway to visit Raphael's magnificent paintings. (see link)
https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/loggia-of-raphael
Well over a century after Raphael's paintings and frescos were completed, a set of 55 engraved copper plates derived from the Loggia di Raffaello were created by Pietro Aquila and Cesare Fantetti. 52 of these plates reproduced Raphael's paintings, one plate is a dedication title to Queen Christina of Sweden, one is a dedication leaf to Raphael and one is an allegorical frontispiece. They were first published cumulatively by Giovanni Giacomo De Rossi in 1674/1675. Although it is not difficult to find several of the copper engravings sold separately, it is extremely rare to find a complete set of all 55 copper engravings with only one such set seen at auction over the past 50 years.
Collector's Notes: In talking with the director of the book section from the auction house that initially acquired this set, it did not come from a renowned collection nor was it descended through a well-connected family for generations. Rather, it was found in a damp, musty, chaotic attic of someone recently deceased by relatives who assumed responsibility for clearing out the house's belongings and settling the estate. The woman who stumbled upon this set of copper engravings thought they looked "interesting" and brought them to this auction house for appraisal. The illustrations remained bound but were completely lacking binding covers and backstrip, with the marbled paper endplates barely attached. This is a classic Antiques Road Show type of finding. Perhaps most remarkable, nearly all of the 55 copper engravings were in exceptional condition, with minimal toning at the margins, complete absence of foxing, and no water damage. Aside from 2 or 3 wormholes in the margins of plates 51 and 52 this is a flawless set.
Because I collect almost exclusively modern private press books from 1890 to present day, the decision with regard to how to properly rebind these copper engravings had me baffled and every idea I conceived was inadequate and short-lived. I finally came up with the best idea of all - I gave Sophie Schneideman (London) a call, sent eight photos of the illustrations to her, and asked her for suggestions and advice. For those unfamiliar with the Sophie Schneideman Gallery, few London booksellers are as knowledgeable and her taste is impeccable. It took Sophie all of thirty seconds to remark that I "must" send this to Trevor Lloyd Bookbinder (see link).
https://www.trevorlloyd.co.uk
Trevor Lloyd is a specialist in restoring and rebinding antiquarian books using authentic period binding designs spanning six centuries. He matches the binding design to the published date AND country of origin of each book using his vast knowledge and study of period binding designs from the 14th to the 20th centuries. His original research, scholarship and bookbinding craftsmanship were recognized and honored in 2015 by being awarded an MBE in the Queen's birthday honours for the craft of bookbinding and book restoration. After visiting the Retro Bindings section of his website and examining the 17th century samples, I fell in love with the binding referred to as Virginia Acts, 1680, because of its clean, elegant design. The book was then sent to Trevor Lloyd and after looking carefully at the set of copper engravings he enthusiastically seconded my choice.
Photos below.
Dedication page to Queen Christina
Dedication page to Raphael
2921Jack
Wow, this book looks amazing!
The interior condition of the book is very impressive for a 350 year old book and your rebind looks excellently done as well.
Also, great acquisition story!
The interior condition of the book is very impressive for a 350 year old book and your rebind looks excellently done as well.
Also, great acquisition story!
3Lukas1990
What a great example of careful planning and flawless execution! A joy for the eyes after all those Dune and rights posts/comments on this forum.
We should build a statue to those men/women who once found things 'interesting' and saved them from extinction.
Wish I had more time to spend at the Vatican museum's when I visited it a couple of years ago. Well, next time maybe. When my son grows up.
We should build a statue to those men/women who once found things 'interesting' and saved them from extinction.
Wish I had more time to spend at the Vatican museum's when I visited it a couple of years ago. Well, next time maybe. When my son grows up.
5dlphcoracl
>3 Lukas1990:
You could easily spend a month in the Vatican Museum and would be still only be scratching the surface of their vast holdings. When visiting for only a day, one must select two or three things to focus on and inevitably a visit/revisit to the Sistine Chapel and the Loggia di Raffaello will be part of that. Strangely, a lasting memory of my visits to the museum are the jaw-dropping tapestries that fill the wall of the long corridor extending from the museum entrance to the Sistine Chapel and Loggia.
You could easily spend a month in the Vatican Museum and would be still only be scratching the surface of their vast holdings. When visiting for only a day, one must select two or three things to focus on and inevitably a visit/revisit to the Sistine Chapel and the Loggia di Raffaello will be part of that. Strangely, a lasting memory of my visits to the museum are the jaw-dropping tapestries that fill the wall of the long corridor extending from the museum entrance to the Sistine Chapel and Loggia.
