Vasari, Vita del gran Michelagnolo Buonarroti, Florence, 1568, modern morocco gilt

Vasari, Giorgio. Vita del gran Michelagnolo Buonarroti. Scritta da M. Giorgio Vasari, Pittore & Architetto Aretino. Con le sue magnifiche essequie stategli fatte in Fiorenza. Dall'Achademia del Disegno. Florence: Giunta, 1568

An early example of an offprint, taken from the 1568 Lives (lot 631), with new title and preface and separate colophon. Michelangelo had died in 1564 and was co-opted by the Florentines as their most famous son, with magnificent celebrations organised for his funeral (see lots 464 and 630). The production of an offprint indicated the expectation of the demand for a short biography of Michelangelo, and indeed the printing of the Lives accommodated this by ending the previous Life on a half-sheet so that the text for Michelangelo could start on a new sheet.

Bernard Breslauer opined that this was the earliest known occurrence of an offprint (The Book Collector 6 (1957), p. 403). The new dedication to Alessandro de' Medici is dated 6 February 1567, amended in other copies to 1568.

4to (238 x 155 mm). Roman type, 46 lines plus headline. collation: *² Ssss-Zzzz AAaaa-DDddd⁴ EEeee²: 44 leaves (last two leaves possibly not conjoint). Title within woodcut border with Medici arms and a view of Florence, woodcut initials, woodcut portrait of Michelangelo, woodcut printer's device on final verso. (Erased inscription at foot of title-page, a few very small holes to title, possibly washed, repaired tear to foot of CCccc2.)

binding: Modern brown morocco gilt (244 x 168 mm), gilt fillet panel with gilt fleurs-de-lys at corners, spine gilt in compartments, top edge gilt. (Binding slightly rubbed.)

provenance: Notes in pencil in Italian on verso of flyleaf. acquisition: Purchased in 2009 from Libreria Antiquaria Mediolanum, Milan. references: Edit16 81357; Mortimer, Harvard Italian 517; Pettas, Giunti 455