Alberto Magno - [Post Incunable] Mariale - 1507

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THE LYON MARIALE THAT CHALLENGES PRINTING: A LYONESA MARIALE BETWEEN THE GOLD OF TRADITION AND THE BIRTH OF THE MODERN BOOK
This rare Lyonese edition of 1507 of the Mariale attributed to Albertus Magnus stands out not only as a testament to the persistence of manuscript culture but also as an object of extraordinary visual refinement. On top of the typographic structure, there is a high-quality decorative system: rubricated initials, a significant color-miniate initial with elegant floral motifs, and a woodcut emblem that marks the workshop’s identity. In this copy, the textual and visual dimensions are deeply intertwined, transforming the book into a device for visual meditation as well as theological reflection. The extensive handwritten annotations, together with the decorative interventions, create a unique whole in which word and image participate in building meaning, revealing a living continuity between medieval illuminated tradition and Renaissance typographic culture.

MARKET VALUE
Lyons post-incunabula devotional texts attributed to Albertus Magnus are relatively rare on the market. Standard copies generally sit between €2,000 and €4,000. However, copies that preserve a high-quality decorative apparatus – rubricated initials, contemporary illuminated interventions, and well-pressed typographic marks – combined with a rich manuscript accoutrement, can reach a range of €5,000 to €9,000, with further increases in the presence of particularly well-crafted miniatures or strong aesthetic impact, elements highly sought after in antique book collecting.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Later binding in parchment, sourced from an old antiphonal leaf, illuminated and rubricated. Text in Gothic type on two columns. Rich decorative apparatus: red rubricated initials with guide marks and a large color-miniate initial with refined marginal floral decoration. Presence of a woodcut typographic mark with initials “I C,” of notable engraving quality. The ensemble of decorative components contributes to a strong visual enhancement of the volume, presenting itself as a book not only to be read but to be contemplated. Important manuscript material: Latin annotations scattered through the text and about 10 additional pages entirely handwritten, including a final “Finis Marialis Alberti.” Some browning and minor wear. In ancient books with a centuries-old history, a few imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. P.p.: (2); 12 nn.; 156; (2).

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Mariale Alberti Magni in evangelium super Missus est Gabriel angelus.
Lugduni, Johannes Clein, 1507.
Albertus Magnus (attributed).

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The Mariale attributed to Saint Albert the Great belongs to the great tradition of medieval Marian devotion, built around the exegesis of the gospel passage of the Annunciation. In this Lyonese edition, however, the value of the work lies not only in its theological content but also in its visual dimension: the rubricated initials and the floral miniature are not mere ornaments but instruments of orientation and meditation, capable of ordering the text and guiding the reader’s eye and mind. The illuminated decoration, still deeply tied to manuscript models, testifies to how, in the early decades of the 16th century, the printed book continued to absorb and reinterpret the medieval figurative language. Added to this is the imposing manuscript apparatus, which establishes a continuous dialogue with the text and its visual components, transforming the volume into a space of interaction between word, image, and interpretation. The result is a complex object in which theology is expressed as much through discourse as through visual form.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Saint Albert the Great (c. 1200–1280), Dominican, was one of the greatest thinkers of the Middle Ages. Teacher of Thomas Aquinas, he contributed decisively to the diffusion of Aristotelian thought in the West. His encyclopedic work spans theology, philosophy, and natural sciences. The works attributed to him, such as the Mariale, enjoyed wide fortune in the following centuries, becoming fundamental tools for theological formation and devotion, even when the attribution was uncertain.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
Printed in Lyon in 1507 by Johannes Clein, this edition sits at a transitional phase between manuscript and modern book. Lyon, a major center of printing, was particularly active in producing religious texts for a cultured audience. Editions of the Mariale were already widely disseminated in manuscript and incunabula form, but it is precisely in these early sixteenth-century prints that one observes a significant integration between typographic and decorative elements. The presence of miniatures and manual rubrication demonstrates how the printed book continued to be perceived as an object to be completed and visually enhanced. The copy, with its decorative and manuscript apparatus, suggests circulation in environments where the book was not only read but also enriched and personalized.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
GW (Gesamtkatalog der Wiegendrucke), entries related to Albertus Magnus, Mariale, for the incunabula tradition (see GW 1541–1548, related textual groups).
Hain-C Copinger, Repertorium bibliographicum, II, pp. 11–15 (Albertus Magnus, Mariale and related works).
USTC (Universal Short Title Catalogue), Lyonese editions 1500–1520 under Albertus Magnus, Mariale.
ICCU / OPAC SBN, catalogues of Lyonese editions of Marian works attributed to Albertus Magnus.
Baudrier, Henri, Bibliographie lyonnaise, Lyon, 1895–1921, vols. IX–X (minor Lyonese printers, Johannes Clein).
Gültlingen, Sybille von, Bibliographie des livres imprimés à Lyon au seizième siècle, Baden-Baden, volumes on the early Sixteenth Century.
Alexander, J.J.G., Medieval Illuminators and Their Methods of Work, New Haven, 1992 (on the context of late-medieval manuscript practices).
Wieck, Roger S., Painted Prayers: The Book of Hours in Medieval and Renaissance Art, New York, 1997 (on the role of illuminated decoration in devotion).
De Hamel, Christopher, A History of Illuminated Manuscripts, London, 1994 (continuity between manuscript and illustrated printing).
Auction catalogues Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Librairie Sourget for comparable copies with contemporary illuminated decoration and rubrication.