VELMAZIO, Giovanni Maria

Veteris & novi Testame

      Venice, n. pr. (Aurelio Pincio), 1538. Historiated woodcut title-border incorporating 9 biblical scenes, 11 text woodcuts, historiated and floral woodcut initials. 7 unn. leaves (incl. title), num. leaves 11-203. 4to. Contemp. limp vellum (new flyleaves). From the collection of Hendrik D. L. Vervliet. Venice, n. pr. (Aurelio Pincio), 1538. First edition of a fine Venetian woodcut book, main text in Italics with notes in Roman type. The title-border is a reduced copy of that in Luc' Antonio Giunta's 1532 edition of Brucioli's translation of the Bible. The events of the Old and New Testaments are told in neo-Latin verse, but employing the classical epic metre of dactylic hexameter. The woodcut illustrations show scenes from the Bible such as the expulsion from Paradise, Kain slaying Abel, Babel, and from the New Testament nativity, crucifixion, and resurrection. The cut on f. 113 of Ovid, Virgil and Dido represents a further combination of the sacred and profane. The Harvard copy has a manuscript correction of "disertum" for "desertum" in the "Excusatio" on f. 6, whereas the BL copy (according to Mortimer) has a printed correction, presumably representing a later state. The printer was identified from the ornamental capitals as Aurelio Pincio by Dennis Rhodes. - Lacking leaf a8, title somewhat dusty, edges a bit frayed, with stamps on recto and verso, some old ms. insc., several other small stamps in margins, waterstain to outer lower corner of a few leaves, some traces of worming. Otherwise an interesting example of a 16th-century Venetian illustrated book, printed in an attractive Italic type. - Mortimer 522; Sander 7506. GRAPHIC ARTS:ILLUSTRATED BOOKS ; RELIGION ; CLASSICS ;