Giulio Cesare CROCE
Bertoldo con Bertoldino et Cacasenno
Lelio dalla Volpe|In Bologna 1736|21.50 x 29.50 cm|relié
First edition. The original text dates from 1606. The illustration comprises a frontispiece, a title vignette (Bologna behind a she-wolf) and 20 figures as well as 16 vignettes placed at the end of certain cantos depicting the countryside around Bologna, all by Giuseppe Maria Crespi. A folding plate in the annotations. Fine printing. Portrait of Croce at the end of the preliminary pages. One of the major publications of Bologna in the 18th century.
Full vellum binding from the 19th century ca1880. Spine with raised bands decorated with grotesque compartments. 2 black sheep title labels. Gilt fillet frame on boards and corner fleurons. Gilt edges. Slight crack to upper joint at head over 0.5cm. Stains and soiling. Fresh overall, some leaves frayed at lower margin. Handsome copy.
Giulio Cesare Croce (1550-1609), born in the province of Bologna, came from a poor family, studied medicine then launched into a literary career, then died poor. Bertoldino and Cacasenno are two emblematic and extremely popular characters of Italy, they have become types, Bertoldino is a cunning and crafty character, who opposes the simplicity and rusticity of Cacasenno; Bertoldino and Cacaseno being the sons of a cunning peasant, Bertoldo, who would become advisor to the king. The two companions thus (like Don Quixote) became more famous than the book from which they came. Croce's burlesque poem is composed of 20 cantos, themselves divided into stanzas of 8 verses. An opera was made from it at the end of the 18th century with a libretto by Goldoni.
The second part of the work consists of commentaries and notes by G. A. Barotti.
Giuseppe Maria Crespi was one of the principal Bolognese painters of the early 18th century. The MOMA in New York has original red chalk drawings of the engravings from the work.
Full vellum binding from the 19th century ca1880. Spine with raised bands decorated with grotesque compartments. 2 black sheep title labels. Gilt fillet frame on boards and corner fleurons. Gilt edges. Slight crack to upper joint at head over 0.5cm. Stains and soiling. Fresh overall, some leaves frayed at lower margin. Handsome copy.
Giulio Cesare Croce (1550-1609), born in the province of Bologna, came from a poor family, studied medicine then launched into a literary career, then died poor. Bertoldino and Cacasenno are two emblematic and extremely popular characters of Italy, they have become types, Bertoldino is a cunning and crafty character, who opposes the simplicity and rusticity of Cacasenno; Bertoldino and Cacaseno being the sons of a cunning peasant, Bertoldo, who would become advisor to the king. The two companions thus (like Don Quixote) became more famous than the book from which they came. Croce's burlesque poem is composed of 20 cantos, themselves divided into stanzas of 8 verses. An opera was made from it at the end of the 18th century with a libretto by Goldoni.
The second part of the work consists of commentaries and notes by G. A. Barotti.
Giuseppe Maria Crespi was one of the principal Bolognese painters of the early 18th century. The MOMA in New York has original red chalk drawings of the engravings from the work.
€2,500