Francesco Petrarca - Imago Editore - I Trionfi (anno...

The Triumphs of Francesco Petrarch - Codex 2582 Vienna, Austrian National Library (National Library of Austria) Copy number: XXXV 16th century (early 1500s) Format: 32.5 x 21 cm 303 leaves Fine art print Application of gold leaf Hand-treated parchment to reach an optimal state of aging Leather binding crafted by hand Hand stitching Mounting on antique paper Leather cover with gold impression A true masterpiece of French miniature painting: the famous Codex 2582 of the Austrian National Library in Vienna preserves The Triumph of Time and The Triumph of Eternity in the French translation attributed to Simon Bougouyne. The manuscript passed from Duke René II of Lorraine to Eugene of Savoy, then to the imperial collection of Charles VI of Habsburg; it was brought to France by Napoleon in 1808 and returned to Vienna in 1814. The decoration is extraordinary: 66 large miniatures framed by elegant architectures transform the poem into a real “theatre of memory.” The scenes narrate the processions and characters of the Triumphs, outlining several moments of the action within the same vignette, creating a visual hypertext that goes beyond a simple illustration of the triumphal carriages. The work is the product of at least eight hands, among which stands out the refined Master of Philippe de Gueldre, who lends the codex narrative elegance and figurative inventiveness. The manuscript documents the French fortune of Petrarch’s work and the great interpretive freedom with which the French miniaturists drew inspiration from it. At the beginning there is a partially erased coat of arms, perhaps of the Bugliaffi family. Part of the original leather binding with blind tooling is preserved, testifying to the quality and refinement of Renaissance book production. A work of great historical and artistic fascination, which unites Petrarch’s poetry with French fifteenth-century miniatures, making Codex 2582 a unique piece for collectors and enthusiasts of illuminated manuscripts. Complete copy with commentary and presentation case Published by Imago - La nobiltà del facsimile, 2020

Estimate:£1,926.45

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