Concering Famous Women
author
Giacomo Filippo Foresti
(Solto, 1434 - 1520, Bergamo)
printer
Lorenzo Di Rossi
(active Ferrara, 1482 - 1521)
binder
R. De Coverly
(London, born 1831)
editor
Albertus de Placentia
(active Italy, late 15th century)
editor
Augustinus de Casali Maiori
(active late 15th century)
Date29 April 1497
Place MadeItaly, Europe
MediumPrinted ink on paper
Dimensions32.2 x 22.9 x 2.9 cm (12 11/16 x 9 x 1 1/8 in.)
ClassificationsBooks
Credit LineIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
Accession number2.b.1.4
Description1 Vol. (176 leaves) : ill. ; 32 cm. (folio)Status
Not on viewWeb CommentaryAugustian monk and author, Giacomo Filippo Foresti's illustrated encyclopedia of famous women is arranged chronologically, beginning with Eve. The list includes Biblical women, women from pagan times, Christian women, and notorious women like the legendary medieval female Pope Joan. The last seven women: Bona of Lombardy, Bianca Maria of Milan, Catherine of Imola, Leonora of Ferrara, Bianca Mirandula, Genevra Sforza, and Damisella Trivulzia, are Foresti's contemporaries, and are illustrated with woodcuts that are so full of individual character that they are thought to be based on actual portraits and are therefore among the first woodcut portraits. The other 165 woodcut images are mere types of the women represented in the histories, and not portraits. The classical women and the saints each share a series of woodblocks which are printed repeatedly to fill out the series. Two saints or two goddesses might share a single appropriate woodcut. This sort of typological representation is extremely common in early books.
Id728086
Last Updated8/9/24
Other NumberISTC ij00204000
Other NumberARC.007524
EmbARK ObjectID17135
Other NumberGoff J204
Source ID5436
