Bidspirit auction | João Baptista Ribeiro

João Baptista Ribeiro - Exposição Histórica da Creação do Museo Portuense - João Baptista Ribeiro, 1836. Published in 1836 in Porto by the Coutinho Press (Rua da Fábrica, No. 35), this extremely rare pamphlet by João Baptista Ribeiro is an exceptionally interesting document for the institutional history of art in Portugal. Presented in octavo format with 27 pages, the work brings together official documents intended to serve the ”History of Fine Arts in Portugal, and of the Siege of Porto”. The copy is bound in an elegant period full leather binding, with a spine richly decorated with gilt tooling and scrolls, as well as black labels contrasting with the author's name and the truncated title. The text block, although exhibiting the natural patina of time and slight acid stains that do not affect legibility, remains firm and well-structured. As a note of provenance of great collectible relevance, the initial flyleaf bears a detailed handwritten appreciation, dated and signed in Porto, 1952, by a former collector, who describes it as a highly esteemed, curious booklet with a small print run, making it a rather rare copy to find.