Bidspirit auction | [LITERATURE] - POLIZIANO Angelo (1454

[LITERATURE] - POLIZIANO Angelo (1454 – 1494) - [Aldine Press – First Collected Poliziano – 1498] - “Omnia Opera” Venice, Aldus Manutius, 1498. First edition. Folio (30.2 x 20 cm). 452 leaves; early annotations, minor restoration and dampstaining. Modern binding. A landmark of Renaissance printing. ISTC ip00886000. Provenance: Evelyn Baring, 1st Earl of Cromer (bookplate by Henry Badeley to front pastedown). First collected edition of Poliziano’s works and among the finest productions of the Aldine press, notable for its early use of Hebrew type. The contents offer an intimate view into the life and mind of one of the most influential figures of the Renaissance, whose work ‘brought about a revolution in philological method’ The collection is dedicated to Piero de Medici, the unfortunate son of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Poliziano’s preface is a tour-de-force attempt at girding the unhappy prince’s reputation in the style of Cicero’s De amicitia. Ironically, Poliziano’s death - once rumoured to be the consequence of a fever caused by a love affair with a young man - is now suspected to have been arsenic poisoning, perhaps by Piero. The work offers a comprehensive view of Renaissance humanism and Poliziano’s intellectual legacy, including his correspondence and philological writings. •⁠⁠⁠> This lot is located in and ships from the UK. No export license is required for values under £65,000; above this threshold, a UK export license will be needed. Import duties and taxes in the destination country are the buyer's responsibility.