Tasso - Goffredo... Gerusalemme Liberata - 1760
Starting bid
€ 1
Add to your favourites to get an alert when the auction starts.
Expert
Selected by Ilaria Colombo
Specialist in old books, specialising in theological disputes since 1999.
Estimate € 1,000 - € 2,000
Catawiki Buyer Protection
Your payment’s safe with us until you receive your object.View details
Trustpilot 4.4 | 137232 reviews
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot.
Description from the seller
FEROCI SCONTRI TRA CRISTIANI E MUSULMANI : DAME E CAVALIERI, AMORE E MORTE
THE LIBERATED JERUSALEM IN ITS MOST ELEGANT VENETIAN GOWN
20 splendid and large copperplate engravings by Pietro Antonio Novelli and Bernardo Castello.
Magnificent Venetian edition of the Liberated Jerusalem printed by Antonio Groppo between 1760 and 1761, regarded as one of the most prestigious eighteenth-century interpretations of Tasso’s masterpiece. The work blends the typographic excellence of the Venetian school with a richly illustrated apparatus consisting of twenty copperplate engravings by Pietro Antonio Novelli and Bernardo Castello, transforming the poem into an authentic visual journey. The title page printed in red and black, the elegant vignettes, the historiated initials, and the refined typographic decoration make this edition a perfect example of the eighteenth-century Venetian luxury book. The valuable contemporaneous binding, with French prize inscriptions, also testifies to the poem’s wide European fortune and confers on the copy an important historical and collecting value.
WHY TO BUY
• One of the most beautiful eighteenth-century illustrated editions of the Liberated Jerusalem.
• Complete with the 20 copperplate engravings by Pietro Antonio Novelli and Bernardo Castello.
• Elegant contemporaneous binding.
MARKET VALUE
The illustrated editions of the Liberated Jerusalem published by Antonio Groppo represent one of the peaks of eighteenth-century Venetian book production and enjoy a stable antique market. Complete copies of the two volumes, preserved with all copperplates and in good condition, are generally sold between €2,500 and €4,000. Especially fresh copies, in high-quality contemporaneous bindings or characterized by documented historical provenance, can reach higher quotations.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Two volumes in contemporaneous leather binding, marbled, with gilt fillets on the boards. Gilt inscriptions on the boards. Engraved frontispiece in the first volume. Frontispiece of the first volume printed in red and black. Copperplate vignettes on the frontispieces, engraved portrait of Torquato Tasso, rich decorative apparatus with historiated initials, headpieces and endpieces. In total 20 copperplate engravings by Pietro Antonio Novelli and Bernardo Castello. Some foxing and light browning of the paper; ex libris removed. Collation: Volume I: (4), XII, 360, (2) pp.; Volume II: (4), XXXVI, 364, (4) pp. Overall excellent copy, complete and of notable aesthetic impact.
In old books, with a multi-century history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description.
FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Il Goffredo, ovvero Gerusalemme Liberata.
Venice, Antonio Groppo, 1760–1761.
Torquato Tasso (1544–1595).
CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
This edition is one of the most successful eighteenth-century editorial interpretations of the Liberated Jerusalem, a poem that more than any other contributed to the construction of the European heroic imagination. Antonio Groppo conceived a volume intended not only for reading but also for bibliographic representation, entrusting the illustrative apparatus to artists capable of translating the epic pathos, spirituality, and psychological and moral complexity of the protagonists into images.
Novelli and Castello’s engravings accompany the reader through the poem’s most famous moments — Goffredo’s exploits, the love of Tancredi and Clorinda, Armida and Rinaldo — transforming the narration into a succession of grand theatrical scenes, characterized by compositional balance, classical elegance, and refined eighteenth-century sensibility. The result is one of the most successful examples of integration between engraving art and Venetian typography.
BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Torquato Tasso (1544–1595) is one of the greatest poets of Italian and European literature. Educated at the major Renaissance courts, he developed with the Liberated Jerusalem a new conception of the heroic Christian poem, blending the classical epic model with deep psychological and moral introspection. Published in 1581, the work profoundly influenced European literature, painting, theater, and music, giving rise to an extraordinary illustrated editorial tradition that spanned over three centuries.
PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The edition by Antonio Groppo belongs to the height of Venetian publishing in the eighteenth century, when the Serenissima continued to distinguish itself for the high quality of typography and art in its productions. The presence of the bicromate title page, the extensive illustrative cycle, and the refined interior decoration attest to a precise editorial intention to offer a prestigious edition destined for aristocratic libraries and collectors.
The French inscriptions impressed on the binding constitute an interesting testimony to the international circulation of the copy during the Napoleonic era, when works considered fundamental for literary formation were often awarded as study or merit prizes, adding further historical and documentary value to the copy.
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
A. Mai, Bibliografia Tassiana, no. 270.
Gamba, Serie dei Testi di Lingua, no. 948.
Graesse, Trésor de Livres Rares et Précieux.
Brunet, Manuel du Libraire et de l’Amateur de Livres.
Cataloghi delle edizioni illustrate della Gerusalemme Liberata.
Bibliografia dedicata a Pietro Antonio Novelli e Bernardo Castello.
Seller's Story
Luxury Books: Your Go-To Guide for Nabbing Literary Treasures!
Embarking on the thrilling journey of collecting rare and timeless printed works? Here's your snappy rundown, "The Collector's Cheat Sheet," to ensure you're not just flipping pages but stacking up the value:
1. Edition and Rarity: Rarity is the name of the game. First editions, limited printings, and books flaunting unique features like eye-catching illustrations or mind-blowing bindings? Consider them the VIPs of the collector's world.
2. Condition & Dimension: Picture this – a book in mint condition, untouched by the woes of wear and tear. Now, flip the script: wear, foxing, discoloration – they're the villains here. And don't forget to size up the dimensions, because a book's size matters in the collector's universe.
3. Authenticity: In a world of replicas and forgeries, verifying a book's authenticity is your superhero move. Expert examination and authentication – your trusty sidekicks in this quest.
4. Provenance: Who owned it before you? If the book has hobnobbed with famous figures or danced through historical events, its value skyrockets. Every book has a story, but some have blockbuster tales.
5. Demand and Market Trends: Think of book values as the stock market of the literary world. Stay savvy on collector trends and market shifts to ride the waves of value.
6. Subject Matter: Some topics are like fine wine – they get better with time. Dive into subjects with a timeless appeal or ride the wave of emerging cultural and historical relevance.
7. Binding and Design: Beauty is more than skin deep. Intricate bindings, stunning covers, and illustrations – these are the accessories that make a book runway-ready in the collector's eyes.
8. Association Copies: Books with a personal touch – whether it's a connection to the author or a famous personality – elevate the historical vibes. A book with a backstory? Count us in.
9. Investment Potential: Passion is the engine, but some collectors eye future returns. Keep in mind, though, that the book market can be as unpredictable as a plot twist.
10. Expert Advice: New to the game? Don't play solo. Seek wisdom from the book gurus, hit up book fairs, and join collector communities. We at Luxury Books are the Yodas of the rare book galaxy, helping you build collections that scream sophistication and cultural clout.
Because collecting rare books isn't just about dollar signs – it's a journey of preserving heritage and embracing literary treasures. Happy collecting!
Translated by Google TranslateFEROCI SCONTRI TRA CRISTIANI E MUSULMANI : DAME E CAVALIERI, AMORE E MORTE
THE LIBERATED JERUSALEM IN ITS MOST ELEGANT VENETIAN GOWN
20 splendid and large copperplate engravings by Pietro Antonio Novelli and Bernardo Castello.
Magnificent Venetian edition of the Liberated Jerusalem printed by Antonio Groppo between 1760 and 1761, regarded as one of the most prestigious eighteenth-century interpretations of Tasso’s masterpiece. The work blends the typographic excellence of the Venetian school with a richly illustrated apparatus consisting of twenty copperplate engravings by Pietro Antonio Novelli and Bernardo Castello, transforming the poem into an authentic visual journey. The title page printed in red and black, the elegant vignettes, the historiated initials, and the refined typographic decoration make this edition a perfect example of the eighteenth-century Venetian luxury book. The valuable contemporaneous binding, with French prize inscriptions, also testifies to the poem’s wide European fortune and confers on the copy an important historical and collecting value.
WHY TO BUY
• One of the most beautiful eighteenth-century illustrated editions of the Liberated Jerusalem.
• Complete with the 20 copperplate engravings by Pietro Antonio Novelli and Bernardo Castello.
• Elegant contemporaneous binding.
MARKET VALUE
The illustrated editions of the Liberated Jerusalem published by Antonio Groppo represent one of the peaks of eighteenth-century Venetian book production and enjoy a stable antique market. Complete copies of the two volumes, preserved with all copperplates and in good condition, are generally sold between €2,500 and €4,000. Especially fresh copies, in high-quality contemporaneous bindings or characterized by documented historical provenance, can reach higher quotations.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Two volumes in contemporaneous leather binding, marbled, with gilt fillets on the boards. Gilt inscriptions on the boards. Engraved frontispiece in the first volume. Frontispiece of the first volume printed in red and black. Copperplate vignettes on the frontispieces, engraved portrait of Torquato Tasso, rich decorative apparatus with historiated initials, headpieces and endpieces. In total 20 copperplate engravings by Pietro Antonio Novelli and Bernardo Castello. Some foxing and light browning of the paper; ex libris removed. Collation: Volume I: (4), XII, 360, (2) pp.; Volume II: (4), XXXVI, 364, (4) pp. Overall excellent copy, complete and of notable aesthetic impact.
In old books, with a multi-century history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description.
FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Il Goffredo, ovvero Gerusalemme Liberata.
Venice, Antonio Groppo, 1760–1761.
Torquato Tasso (1544–1595).
CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
This edition is one of the most successful eighteenth-century editorial interpretations of the Liberated Jerusalem, a poem that more than any other contributed to the construction of the European heroic imagination. Antonio Groppo conceived a volume intended not only for reading but also for bibliographic representation, entrusting the illustrative apparatus to artists capable of translating the epic pathos, spirituality, and psychological and moral complexity of the protagonists into images.
Novelli and Castello’s engravings accompany the reader through the poem’s most famous moments — Goffredo’s exploits, the love of Tancredi and Clorinda, Armida and Rinaldo — transforming the narration into a succession of grand theatrical scenes, characterized by compositional balance, classical elegance, and refined eighteenth-century sensibility. The result is one of the most successful examples of integration between engraving art and Venetian typography.
BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Torquato Tasso (1544–1595) is one of the greatest poets of Italian and European literature. Educated at the major Renaissance courts, he developed with the Liberated Jerusalem a new conception of the heroic Christian poem, blending the classical epic model with deep psychological and moral introspection. Published in 1581, the work profoundly influenced European literature, painting, theater, and music, giving rise to an extraordinary illustrated editorial tradition that spanned over three centuries.
PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The edition by Antonio Groppo belongs to the height of Venetian publishing in the eighteenth century, when the Serenissima continued to distinguish itself for the high quality of typography and art in its productions. The presence of the bicromate title page, the extensive illustrative cycle, and the refined interior decoration attest to a precise editorial intention to offer a prestigious edition destined for aristocratic libraries and collectors.
The French inscriptions impressed on the binding constitute an interesting testimony to the international circulation of the copy during the Napoleonic era, when works considered fundamental for literary formation were often awarded as study or merit prizes, adding further historical and documentary value to the copy.
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
A. Mai, Bibliografia Tassiana, no. 270.
Gamba, Serie dei Testi di Lingua, no. 948.
Graesse, Trésor de Livres Rares et Précieux.
Brunet, Manuel du Libraire et de l’Amateur de Livres.
Cataloghi delle edizioni illustrate della Gerusalemme Liberata.
Bibliografia dedicata a Pietro Antonio Novelli e Bernardo Castello.
Seller's Story
Luxury Books: Your Go-To Guide for Nabbing Literary Treasures!
Embarking on the thrilling journey of collecting rare and timeless printed works? Here's your snappy rundown, "The Collector's Cheat Sheet," to ensure you're not just flipping pages but stacking up the value:
1. Edition and Rarity: Rarity is the name of the game. First editions, limited printings, and books flaunting unique features like eye-catching illustrations or mind-blowing bindings? Consider them the VIPs of the collector's world.
2. Condition & Dimension: Picture this – a book in mint condition, untouched by the woes of wear and tear. Now, flip the script: wear, foxing, discoloration – they're the villains here. And don't forget to size up the dimensions, because a book's size matters in the collector's universe.
3. Authenticity: In a world of replicas and forgeries, verifying a book's authenticity is your superhero move. Expert examination and authentication – your trusty sidekicks in this quest.
4. Provenance: Who owned it before you? If the book has hobnobbed with famous figures or danced through historical events, its value skyrockets. Every book has a story, but some have blockbuster tales.
5. Demand and Market Trends: Think of book values as the stock market of the literary world. Stay savvy on collector trends and market shifts to ride the waves of value.
6. Subject Matter: Some topics are like fine wine – they get better with time. Dive into subjects with a timeless appeal or ride the wave of emerging cultural and historical relevance.
7. Binding and Design: Beauty is more than skin deep. Intricate bindings, stunning covers, and illustrations – these are the accessories that make a book runway-ready in the collector's eyes.
8. Association Copies: Books with a personal touch – whether it's a connection to the author or a famous personality – elevate the historical vibes. A book with a backstory? Count us in.
9. Investment Potential: Passion is the engine, but some collectors eye future returns. Keep in mind, though, that the book market can be as unpredictable as a plot twist.
10. Expert Advice: New to the game? Don't play solo. Seek wisdom from the book gurus, hit up book fairs, and join collector communities. We at Luxury Books are the Yodas of the rare book galaxy, helping you build collections that scream sophistication and cultural clout.
Because collecting rare books isn't just about dollar signs – it's a journey of preserving heritage and embracing literary treasures. Happy collecting!
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Number of books
2
Subject
Fine Bindings, Illustrated
Book title
Goffredo... Gerusalemme Liberata
Author/ Illustrator
Tasso
Condition
Good
Publication year oldest item
1760
Height
308 mm
Edition
1st Edition Thus, Illustrated Edition
Width
218 mm
Language
Italian
Original language
Yes
Publisher
Venezia, Antonio Groppo, 1760–1761
Binding/ Material
Leather
Extras
Tipped in plates
Number of pages
786
Sold by
