Boccace

1825 · rif. SET19-C-6 — London: William Pickering 1825. First edition. Cloth. Fair. 9" by 5.5". Thomas Stothard. A scarce first edition set of 'The Decameron' by Giovanni Boccaccio illustrated with ten plates by the famous English illustrator and engraver Thomas Stothard. Collated: Complete in three volumes with the 10 Stothard Plates. First edition with an introduction by Ugo Foscolo or Niccolò Foscolo a noted Italian writer and poet. Scarce. Giovanni Boccaccio was an Italian author and poet a friend student and correspondent of Petrarch an important Renaissance humanist and the author of a number of notable works including 'The Decameron' 'On Famous Women' and his poetry in the Italian vernacular. Boccaccio is particularly notable for his dialogue of which it has been said that it surpasses in verisimilitude that of virtually all of his contemporaries since they were medieval writers and often followed formulaic models for character and plot. 'The Decameron' with the subtitle of 'Prince Galehaut' is a 14th-century medieval allegory by Giovanni Boccaccio told as a frame story encompassing 100 tales by ten young people. Boccaccio probably began composing the work in 1350 and finished it in 1351 or 1353. The various tales of love in 'The Decameron' range from the erotic to the tragic. Tales of wit practical jokes and life lessons contribute to the mosaic. In addition to its literary import it documents life in 14th-century Italy. In original publisher's cloth bindings with paper labels to the spines. Externally rather worn. Corners are bumped on all three volumes and boards are stained. Spines are chipped and the back strips are lifting. Front board to volume I detached with first four leaves. Front hinge failed to volume III. Internally binding is loosening in places. Pages 273-4 and 277-84 are loose in volume I. Pages are generally bright and clean with some scattered spotting. Loss to page iii volume I approximately 4 inches not affecting the text. Bookplate to the front pastedown in volume III. Fair William Pickering hardcover