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You are here: CollectionsOnline  /  The architecture of Leon Battista Alberti in ten books. Of painting in three books and of statuary in one book. Translated into Italian by Cosimo Bartoli. And now first into English, and divided into three volumes by James Leoni, Venetian, architect; to which are added several designs of his own, for buildings both public and private. ...
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ALBERTI, Leon Battista (1404--1472)
[De re aedificatoria. English & Italian. 1726]
The architecture of Leon Battista Alberti in ten books. Of painting in three books and of statuary in one book. Translated into Italian by Cosimo Bartoli. And now first into English, and divided into three volumes by James Leoni, Venetian, architect; to which are added several designs of his own, for buildings both public and private. ...
London (Place), printed by Thomas Edlin,, 1726.
3 vols ; 44.4 cm. (2°)
I: [14], 103 leaves, engr. frontis., [9] pl.
II: [2], 1--44, 46--47, 49--130 [i.e. 128] leaves, [58] pl. (4 double-page)
III: [2], 34, [8], 6 leaves, [8], 27 pl. (9 fold., 11 double-page)

Parallel title-pages and texts in Italian. Volume III includes 'Some Designs For Buildings Both Publick and Private By James Leoni Architect' with separate title-leaf, foliation and register. Although the title-pages to each part are dated 1726, only volume I appeared in that year. Volume II has plates dated 1727; volume III appeared by March 1729/30, the date of copyright privilege, and Leoni's 'Some Designs', also available for separate purchase, did not appear before 1729. A single-volume edition with the text in Italian only was issued by Edlin, presumably for the export market, in 1726; the copy of this in the Soane Museum (q.v.) was until recently the only traced copy. Unsold sheets of the present edition of were re-issued without the supplement of Leoni's designs in 1739 (q.v.). ESTC n65008; BAL, Early printed books, no. 48; Harris and Savage, 12.

Copy Notes The privilege generally bound at the beginning of volume I as given in the above collation is here placed at the end of volume II; and the dedication of 'Some Designs' is misbound at the beginning of volume III.

Binding C19th half calf, marbled-paper boards, blind double-ruled spine, later red morocco spine-label. Bound three volumes in one.

Reference Number 1578

Additional Names Leoni, Giacomo (ca.$1686--1746); Leoni, James


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