Euripides, Tragodiai, Venice, Aldo, 1503, nineteenth century straight-grain red morocco by Thouvenin for Renouard

Euripides. Εὐριπιδου Τραγωδιαι επτακαιδεκα ὀν ἐνιαι μετ'εξηγησεων εἰσι δε αὐται … Euripidis Tragoediae septendecim, ex quib. quaedam habent commentaria, et sunt hae. Hecuba Orestes Phoenissae Medea Hippolytys Alcestis Andromache Supplices Iphigenia in Aulide Iphigenia in Tauris Rhesus Troades Bacchae Cyclops Heraclidae Helena Ion. (Venice: Aldo Manuzio, February 1503)

A seventh copy, bound for Antoine-Augustin Renouard by R. P. Thouvenin. According to Paul Needham, volume 2 of the present lot is, next to the Morgan Library's Euripides (001327-28), the earliest surviving uncut Aldine.

Volume 2 of the present set is paginated by an early hand 61–435, and the printed text was presumably preceded in an earlier binding by either a related printed text, or—perhaps more likely given the density of the marginalia—by further manuscript notes.

For further lots from Renouard's library, see 692, 886 and 973.

2 volumes, 8vo (167 x 96 mm [vol. 1]; 178 x 108 mm, uncut [vol. 2]). Greek types, 30 lines plus headline. collation: Vol. 1: Α-Γ⁸ Δ⁴ Ε-Η⁸ Θ⁶ Ι-Λ⁸ Μ⁶ Ν-Ξ⁸ Ο¹⁰ Π-Ρ⁸ Σ¹⁰ Τ-Υ⁸ Φ⁶ Χ-Ω⁸ ΑΑ-ΒΒ⁸ ΓΓ⁶ ΔΔ-ΖΖ⁸ ΗΗ⁶ ΘΘ-ΙΙ⁸ KK¹⁰ χ⁴ : 268 leaves (Δ4, Φ6, ΗΗ6 blank). Vol. 2: ΛΛ⁸ MM¹⁰ NN-PP⁸ ΣΣ¹⁰ ΤT⁸ YY⁶ ΦΦ-XX⁸ ΨΨ⁴ ΩΩ⁸, ΑΑΑ-ΒΒΒ⁸ ΓΓΓ⁶ ΔΔΔ-ΖΖΖ⁸ ΗΗΗ⁶ ΘΘΘ-ΚΚΚ⁸ ΛΛΛ⁴: 190 leaves (ΣΣ10, ΥΥ6 blank). Woodcut Aldine device on χ4v and ΛΛΛ4v, section-titles, four-line initial spaces with guide letters. Second volume paginated 61-435 (presumably the text was previously bound as part of a collected volume, or Sammelband), and with extensive early annotations in Greek and Latin. (Marginal repair to title-page, some scattered soiling, final leaf in each volume discolored from additional vellum flyleaf.)

binding: Nineteenth-century red straight-grained morocco by R.P. Thouvenin (signed at the foot of the spine of vol. 1) for A.-A. Renouard, gilt-fillet frame, spines modestly gilt and lettered in six compartments, marbled endpapers, additional vellum flyleaves, plain edges. (Lightly rubbed.)

provenance: Traditionally but unlikely Baldassare Castiglione (1478-1529); the Greek annotations in vol. 2 were attributed to Castiglione by Renouard — unidentified owner, collating the Aldine text against a manuscript, his mark ".:" often accompanied by the letters "v.c.", at least once "in marg. vet. cod." (p. 228), also (p. 172, Bacchae, line 755), stating that in the old manuscript the rest of the line is wanting — unidentified owner, his marginalia mentioning Pietro Vettori (Variarum lectionum Libri xxv, Florence, 1553) and Henri Estienne (Annotationes in Sophoclem et Euripidem, Paris, 1568) — Antoine- Augustin Renouard (1765-1853), emblematic bookplate; Renouard, Catalogue de la bibliothèque d'un amateur (Paris, 1819), II, p. 206 (here attributing the Greek annotations to Castiglione); Boulouze & Antoine-Laurent Potier, Catalogue … composant la Bibliothèque de feu M. Antoine-Augustin Renouard, Paris, 20 November-23 December 1854, lot 1041; purchased by — unidentified owner (FF 50) — Aleksandr Vasilevich Vereichev (Wereitschew), signature and pressmarks, "N. 51 [N. 52]" on versos of front free endpapers — Rudolf Tewes; Paul Graupe, Auktion 105: Die graphische Sammlung Rudolf Tewes, Berlin, 17-18 October 1932, item 600; purchased by — unidentified owner (M 750) — “A European Collector"; Bonhams London, 4 December 2019, lot 125. acquisition: Purchased at the Bonhams sale. references: UCLA 69; Adams E1030: Aldo Manuzio tipografo 71; Edit16 18373; Grolier/Aldus 38; Renouard 43/10; USTC 828498