Comanini, Il Figino, overo del fine della pittura, Mantua, 1591, contemporary limp vellum

Comanini, Gregorio. Il Figino, overo del fine della pittura. Dialogo del Rever. Padre D. Gregorio Comanini canonico regolare Lateranense. Ove quistionandosi, se'l fine della pittura sia l'utile, overo il diletto, si tratta dell'uso di quella nel Christianesimo. Et si mostra, qual sia imitator più perfetto, & che più diletti, il Pittore, overo il Poeta. Mantua: Francesco Osanna, 1591

First edition of Comanini's dialogue on the value of painting and poetry. As Comanini was also a poet (and a friend of Tasso), his work concluded that poetry was the superior art form. The title Il Figino came from the name of the Mannerist artist Ambrogio Figino of Milan, one of the interlocutors of the dialogue, along with Ascanio Martinengo and Stefano Guazzo.

4to (210 x 151 mm). Roman type, 24 lines plus headline. collation: *⁴ A-M⁴ [2]M⁴ N-Z⁴ Aa-Kk⁴: 140 leaves. Woodcut printer's device on title-page, woodcut initials, decorative headpieces. (Manuscript note on *2 with corroded ink resulting in small holes, a few other ink stains on Cc4-Dd3, occasional light staining, some browning, a couple of small marginal tears.)

binding: Contemporary limp vellum (212 x 161 mm), spine with manuscript lettering, two pairs of alum-tawed ties. (Lower edges worn, spine slightly torn, lower cover defective along foredge with loss of ties, lower hinge broken.)

provenance: Libreria Antiquaria Mediolanum, Milan, catalogue 34, item 113, and bookseller's label on inside front cover. acquisition: Purchased in 2009 from Mediolanum. references: Edit16 12855