Cennini, Trattato della pittura, Rome, 1821, publisher's printed wrappers, uncut

CENNINI, CENNINO D'ANDREA. Di Cennino Cennini Trattato della pittura messo in luce la prima volta con annotazioni dal cavaliere Giuseppe Tambroni. Rome: Paolo Salviucci, 1821

FIRST EDITION of Cennini's treatise on the art of painting, written in Florence in around 1400, known of in the Renaissance but not published until 1821. It contains a great deal of technical information about painting but also affirms the value of painting as redefined by Giotto. While Cennini claimed to be writing a technical manual, it is also plausible that he was writing more to impress his patron at the Paduan court, particularly as only two manuscripts from the renaissance period have been known to survive.

8vo (229 x 150 mm), uncut. Roman and italic type, 35 lines. collation: a-b⁸ c¹⁰ 1-10⁸ 11⁶: 112 leaves.

Binding: Original yellow printed paper wrappers. (Wrappers somewhat worn and slightly stained, backstrip creased and slightly defective.)

Acquisition: Purchased in 2012 from Il Polifilo, Milan.