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FORE-EDGE PAINTING: SCRIPTORES HISTORIAE AUGUSTAEIn earlier articles we discussed fore-edge paintings, that wonderful method of decorating a book with a painted scene on the outer
edges of the pages. I wrote, "I've never heard of a fore-edge painting on a numismatic book. Does one exist?" -Editor
George Kolbe writes: Guess what? In Christie’s London December 1, 2016 sale of Valuable Books and Manuscripts, one of the lots is a 1533 numismatic book featuring a foredge painting comprised of medallic portraits of six of the twelve Caesars. It is a spectacular volume! The work itself is recorded in Dekesel as S 108 (Cat.5), the latter designation encompassing “(h)istories of the lives of the Roman emperors, empresses and their families and of other kings, queens, and notables, illustrated with coin-like images or referring to the usage of coinage.” The Christie’s sale volume features an illustrious pedigree going back to the time of publication and the numismatic foredge painting was executed by a cousin and pupil of Titian. Wow. Wow, indeed! Thanks, George! Here's the lot description. -Editor
From the Renaissance Pillone library, with a fore-edge painting by Cesare Vecellio, cousin and pupil of Titian, with medallion portraits of the twelve Caesars. Folio (320 x 222mm). Printer’s device on title and final leaf, fine woodcut initials from the Kinderschule (final gathering with old repairs along gutter). Contemporary Basel binding of blind-tooled pigskin over wooden boards, title in gilt on front cover, brass clasps and catches, from the Pillone Library with painted edges by Cesare Vecellio, edges painted blue with medallion portraits of the twelve Caesars (top catch with tear); modern box. Provenance: [Bonaccorso Grino (d.1553, Italian and German scholar in the service of Charles V) — Giovanni Grino (son of the preceding)] — Odorico Pillone (1503-94; edges) — Sir Thomas Brooke (1830-1908; bookplate) — sold by his heirs in 1957 as part of the Pillone collection to Pierre Berès (Catalogue Bibliothèque Pillone, 1957, no. 97) — G. Nordback (bookplate) — Dorothy Jayne Pedrini Shea (book label) — [sold at Christie’s as lot 262 on 3 December 2010 for $40,000]. This work is one of the 172 volumes decorated by Cesare Vecellio (1521-1601), a cousin and pupil of Titian, in whose studio Vecellio worked until Titian's death. The Pillone Library was formed over several generations, the earliest books acquired in the late 15th century by Antonio Pillone (d. 1533). His eldest son Odorico expanded the library through numerous individual purchases and with one large group of northern books acquired in about 1550 from his kinsman by marriage, Bonaccorso Grino, who had been in the service of Charles V of Bavaria. It was almost certainly Odorico (or perhaps his son Giorgio) who commissioned Vecellio in the 1580s to decorate the books. 154 were painted by Vecellio with fore-edges and 21 with original drawings on their vellum covers by him and other artists.  Among Vecellio's major paintings is the altarpiece at Belluno Cathedral. In addition to the painted fore-edges executed for the Pillones, Vecellio also painted a room in the Palazzo Pillone with the Four Seasons and the Rape of the Sabines. It was in his famous book on costume and manners, De gli habiti antichi et moderni (1590), that Vecellio mentions the library and other collections of the Pillone family as well as their generous hospitality. To read the complete lot description, see: George adds: I’m wondering if all 12 Caesars are depicted. The illustration seems to show medallions of 3 Caesars on one of the sides. And, if one amazing early numismatic work were not enough, there is this:
The folio edition of one of the most celebrated iconographical series of the Renaissance, describing the medals in the collection of Jacopo Strada, an antiquary of Mantua. The 118 portraits of Roman Emperors were based on the octavo-format, Zurich edition of 1557, and enlarged for the benefit of craftsmen decorating majolica, furniture, glass and ceramics. Flötner's arabesque ornaments had been previously published in the rare Kunstbuch (Zurich, 1549). The decoration on the verso of folio 50 includes a small panel containing his initials and tools, with date 1546. Adams S-1919; Goldsmith Printed Books of the Renaissance, pp. 76ff. To read the complete lot description, see: George writes: Perhaps the most visually stunning 16th century numismatic book ever produced, this imposing 1559 volume—approximately 21 by 16.5 inches—describes and depicts 118 finely engraved medallion portraits of Roman emperors in the coin collection of the famous antiquary Jacobo Strada. Christie’s terms it “one of the most celebrated iconographical series of the Renaissance”; and bookseller Ernst Goldschmidt once described its monumental coin engravings as being “as large as soup plates.” Either volume would have pride of place in any numismatic library. Thanks, George! -Editor
To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see: Newman Numismatic Portal Partner of the Week  Wayne Homren, Editor The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org. To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All Rights Reserved. NBS Home Page Contact the NBS webmaster 
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