De Civitate Dei
A superb copy of "The City of God" incunable by Saint Augustine artistically enhanced with warm tones at the time, preserved in its beautiful contemporary binding.
In-folio of 268 ff. sign. a10, b-o8, p-y A-K8.6, L-O6.8, rose calf blind-stamped over wooden boards, raised bands on spine, smooth edges, clasps. Contemporary binding.
318 x 225 mm.
Saint Augustine. De Civitate Dei.
Basel, Johannes Amerbach, Ides of February [13 II], 1490.
Precious incunabula illustrated edition of one of the greatest books in literature of all time, the second to come off Amerbach's presses.
Goff A. 1244; BMC III; 752; Hain 2066; Gesamtkatalog 2888; Schreiber 3394.
“The idea of international law was partly derived from the book; Grotius cites St Augustine. Both Luther and Calvin took Augustine as the foundation of Protestantism next to the Bible itself” (PMM, 3 (for the 1467 edition)).
“Despite the development of theoretical sciences, ‘The City of God’ remains a living book, which continues to attract readers.”
This very precious incunabula edition is printed in gothic type, in double columns, the text in 54 lines, surrounded by commentaries by Thomas Waleys and Nicolas Trivet on 65 lines, with a few characters in Greek.
It repeats the edition given on 13 February 1489 by Amerbach. A large and beautiful woodcut (197 x 142 mm) attributed to the master of Haintz-Narr depicts Saint Augustine drafting his work, with the City of God opposed to the City of Satan at his feet.
Superb copy, large-margined and in perfect freshness, of this important and rare illustrated incunabulum.
The large woodcut is painted in warm, shimmering colors by a contemporary hand, as is the first initial.
Large initials on 6 or 9 lines finely painted.
The entire copy is fully rubricated in alternating red and blue.
The copy described in the British Museum catalog (III. 752) and purchased in October 1867 was missing the first title leaf, illustrated with the large woodcut.
Johann Amerbach (ca 1445-1513) is one of the leading Basel printers.
Trained in Venice, he collaborated with J. Von Pforzheim, J. Petri and J. Froben, as well as A. Koberger. He published his first dated work in 1478, with J. Reuchlin.
His De Civitate Dei, with commentaries by Thomas Valois (1287-1350) and Nicolas Triveth (1258-1354), was the subject of two editions. The first, dated 13 February 1489, is identical to the second of 1490.
The large woodcut by the master of Haintz-Narr is composed of two parts, depicting Saint Augustine seated at his desk and, in the lower section, Jerusalem and Babylon.
CIBN, I, A-688; BMC, III, 752 (for a copy measuring 309 x 213 mm); GW, 2888; Lokkös, p. 43, no. 53; Arnim (M. Von), Katalog der Bibliothek Otto Schäfer, I, no. 23; Schreiber, 3394.
Bound with, by the same author: De Trinitate.
(Basel), Johannes Amerbach, 1490.
Second edition issued from the presses ofJ. Amerbach; the original having been published in Strasbourg not later than 1474. Copy rubricated at the time in red and blue.
CIBN, I, A-721; BMC, III 753; GW, 2928; Lokkös, p. 44, no. 56.
