LA GERUSALEMME LIBERATA

Firenze [Florence]: David Passigli, 1844. 85 x 53 mm. (3 3/8 x 2 1/8"). 3 p.l., 326, [2] (section title), 327-659 pp.
Contemporary stiff vellum, charmingly gilt, covers with graceful gilt frame of volutes and flowers, central ornament formed by similar tools, smooth spine tooled with gilt volutes and flowers forming central panel with gilt lettering, a small gilt bird of paradise above and below this, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. WITH SPLIT FORE-EDGE PAINTINGS visible when the book is open at the section title for part II, the painting on the first half of the leaves A SWEEPING CITY VIEW OF JERUSALEM, that on the second part featuring THE DOME OF THE ROCK ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT. With engraved frontispiece portrait of the author and two engravings depicting scenes from the poem, all with original tissue guards. Front pastedown with engraved armorial bookplate of William Dunville. ◆Corners lightly bumped, one spot of light rubbing to gilt on upper cover, isolated spots of faint foxing, but A VERY FINE SPECIMEN, clean and bright inside and out, the fore-edge paintings well preserved.

This delightful miniature edition is adorned with two fore-edge paintings showing different views of the title city, both visible when the book is open to the title page of part II of Tasso's Crusader epic "Jerusalem Delivered." Given the restricted area available for a "canvas," our artist has done a remarkable job, both in the level of detail and the sense of space and grandeur the scenes evoke. It is not surprising that this volume was in Christie's sale of the Irene Winterstein Collection of Important Miniature Books (10 March 2000, lot 277, fetching $1,455 all in)..