Vasari, Le vite de' piu eccellenti pittori, Florence, 1568, contemporary Flemish pigskin

Vasari, Giorgio. Le vite de' piu eccellenti pittori, scultori, e architettori. Scritte da M. Giorgio Vasari pittore et architetto aretino, di nuovo dal medesimo riviste et ampliate con i ritratti loro et con l'aggiunta delle vite de' vivi, & de' morti dall'anno MDL insino al MDLXVII. Prima, e seconda parte… [part 2:] Delle vite de' più eccellenti Pittori Scultori et Architettori scritte da M. Giorgio Vasari Pittore et Architetto Aretino. Primo volume della terza parte [part 3:] Delle vite de' più eccellenti Pittori Scultori et Architettori Scritte da M. Giorgio Vasari Pittore et Architetto Aretino. Secondo, et ultimo volume della terza parte. Nel quale si comprendano le nuove Vite, dall'anno 1550 al 1567… Florence: Giunta, 1568

Second edition—but first complete and first illustrated edition—of the "first modern history of art" (PMM), a work which served as an influential model for biography as a genre in art writings. Although the second edition only bears Vasari's name, it was in fact revised and expanded through the efforts of Vincenzo Borghini, appointed by Grand Duke Cosimo de' Medici, whose vision for the work was broader than Vasari's, resulting in a more historically accurate and detailed text.

This edition adds many new artists both living (including Titian and Vasari) and deceased, especially those from Venice and Northern Italy. Also added is a technical treatise on painting and artistic technique. 

3 volumes in one, 4to (243 x 170 mm). Roman type, 46 lines plus headline. collation: A-B⁴ †-†††††⁴ a-z⁴ AA-ZZ⁴ AAA-TTT⁴ V²; *-*****⁴ a-z⁴ Aa-Zz⁴ Aaa²; A² *-*****⁴ a-e⁴ Aaa-Zzz⁴ Aaaa-Qqqq⁴ Rrrr² Ssss-Zzzz⁴ AAaaa-ZZzzz⁴ AAAaaa-HHHhhh⁴ (HHHhhh4 blank): 841 leaves (of 842, without blank leaf Aaa1). Title-page with woodcut architectural border to each of the 3 parts, incorporating Medici arms and a view of Florence, allegorical woodcut on verso of first title representing the awakening of the souls of dead artists (block repeated at end of book 3), full-page portrait of Vasari and 2 further full-page portraits, 144 medallion portraits of artists, each set within borders of female figures representing the arts. (Light spotting and marginal dampstaining, first title-page slightly soiled, Aaa2-3 repaired at head.)

binding: Contemporary blind-stamped pigskin over wooden boards (256 x 194 mm), arabesque centre- and corner pieces within a frame of blind fillets, fleur-de-lys stamp at corners of frame, manuscript lettering on spine, plain edges, two clasps. (Lower cover with tear to pigskin covering, upper joint cracked, one strap detached and preserved in envelope loosely inserted at end of volume).

provenance: E. Schorn, inscription on title-page — Pierre Deschamps (1821-1906), bookplate, sale, Delbergue-Cormont & Ant.-Laur. Potier, Paris, 2-7 May 1864, lot 132. acquisition: Purchased in 1990 from E.K. Schreiber, New York. references: Edit16 48229; Mortimer, Harvard Italian 515; Pettas, Giunti 456; PMM 88