Catalogus sanctorum & gestorum eorum ex diversis voluminibus collectus: .

PETRUS DE NATALIBUS.

Published by printed by Martin Flach,, (Colophon: Strasbourg,, 1513

About this Item

Early edition of an influential collection of lives of the saints, first published in Vicenza in 1493, the principal work of Petrus de Natalibus (ca. 1350 or earlier-ca. 1400/06), Venetian Bishop of Equilio. "A very valuable work with a wide circulation. In his arrangement of the various lives he follows the calendar of the Church. The splendid woodcut (19 x 15.5 cm) by Urs Graf (ca. 1485-1528?) in Switzerland shows Christ's Ascension, with the Apostles before him, attributes of the four Evangelists in the corners, and God at the head. He gives an extremely expressive rendering of the faces of Christ and the Apostles in the tradition of Albrecht Dürer.With a 1596 owner's inscription and ca. 1700 engraved armorial bookplate on the front paste-down and ca. 1800 library stamps on the title-page, all from the Waldaufstiftung in Hall (near Innsbruck in Tirol): "Waldaufficæ fundationis/A[nn]o 1596 Halae", "Fundationis Baldauficæ" and "Ritte v. Baldauf'sche Stifts-Bibliothek". Binding rather severely rubbed, but the rolls and lettering can still be made out. Some worming in the first and last few leaves; occasional browning and water stains. Fine Strasbourg print; Urs Graf's splendid woodcut shows the Ascension of the Christ.l Adams N45; BMC STC German, p. 644; Ritter 1856; VD 16, P1881. Contemporary blind-tooled pigskin over wooden boards, sewn on 3 double cords, in a panel design using 2 rolls, with the title "Catalogus" (uncial initial with textura lowercase) at the head of the front board, with 2 brass clasps on leather straps with brass catchplates and anchorplates, all the metalwork with stamped decoration, paste-downs made from printer's waste set partly in roman type. With title-page printed in red and black, with a woodcut decorated initial and a 4-piece woodcut border by Hans Wechtlin (birds, grapes, and other fruits, with the mirror-image arms of the Holy Roman Emperor, Maximilian I in the foot, with the Burgundy half of the escuteon of pretence left blank), 1 full-page woodcut by Urs Graf (with his monogram) at the end of preliminaries, hundreds of woodcut decorated uncial initials (numerous series). Set mostly in rotunda gothic types. Pages: [4], 253 ll.

Seller Inventory # E9RE8MOEETNL

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Catalogus sanctorum & gestorum eorum ex diversis voluminibus collectus: .
• Publisher: printed by Martin Flach,, (Colophon: Strasbourg,
• Publication Date: 1513
• Binding: Hardcover