Opere del divino poeta Danthe con suoi comenti recorrecti et con ogne diligentia nuovamente in littera cursiva impresse. In biblioteca S. Bernardini (with Cristoforo Landino’s commentary). Venezia: Bernardino Stagnino da Trino, 1520.
Call number: PQ 4302 .B20 (Special Collections)
Case 1: “The Divine Comedy Between Texts and Images”
[Translation of title in English: “Works of the divine poet Dante with his comments corrected again and with every diligence impressed again in cursive letter”]
In June 2021, Special Collections acquired an early printed edition of the Divine Comedy, which includes a commentary by Cristoforo Landino. This edition features one full-page woodcut illustration and ninety-eight smaller woodcut prints introducing each canto. The full-page woodcut illustration (which you can see exhibited) is a simultaneous representation of events from the first canto: Dante in the woods; Dante beset by the three beasts, specifically, the leopard, symbol of worldly pleasure, the lion, symbol of pride, and the she-wolf, symbol of avarice; and Dante and Virgil. The volume’s printer, Bernardino Stagnino (meaning “tinsmith”) da Trino, released three editions of the Divine Comedy in 1512, 1520, and 1536. Stagnino’s significant contribution was to print the text edited by Pietro Bembo together with Landino’s commentary, the same commentary that enriches the renowned 1481 copy of the Divine Comedy illustrated by Filippo Brunelleschi. Stagnino belonged to the distinguished Giolito de’ Ferrari da Trino family of printers, who were influential professionals in Renaissance publishing and printing due to their extensive involvement in the industry. Indeed, they were in contact with the powerful Manutius family in Venice, which is where this item was published.
The item consists of fifty-four complete quaternions (a quire of eight leaves) and one complete sextern (a quire of twelve leaves). The sextern includes the prefatory commentary by Landino, which introduces the text with the three canticles. The verso of the last page in the last quaternion presents handwritten notes on characters, sins, and families mentioned in Inferno and a reference to the page number where they appear. The item’s binding realized with Italian calfskin is not original but probably dates back to the early eighteenth century. The organization of the text and colophon replicates the manuscript tradition of vernacular commentaries in Latin works.
The bottom of the frontispiece represents Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden along with God and the serpent, whereas the middle of the page has an illustration of Saint Bernardino of Siena. The same representation of Adam and Eve can be found at the beginning of the first canto in Inferno. A short commentary called “prologo” [“prologue”] in the second canticle introduces Purgatorio and Paradiso before the opening lines of their first canto. Three prayers paraphrased in Italian verses by Dante, i.e., the Creed, Pater Noster, and Ave Maria, conclude the book. The item presents a few marginal manuscript glosses evidencing words, names, and concepts or else annotations summarizing the content of the corresponding sentences in Landino’s commentary (as, for instance, in c. 109r, where the word “sapori,” meaning “tastes,” encapsulates the message of multiple lines from the colophon).
The first letter of each canto and some of the first letters of each new paragraph in the corresponding commentary feature decorations. Visible guide letters show how initial letters would have been decorated (see, for instance, c. 7v, c. 106v, c. 109r, c. 129r, and many other instances throughout the book). In the margins, the portion dedicated to the text’s commentary repeatedly offers a few words or sentences that are extrapolated from Landino’s commentary or that slightly rephrase it. One instance of this can be found in c. 100v, in which the word “proverbio,” meaning “proverb,” is used for an expression that Landino does not classify as a proverb. In a few instances, it is probable that the editor added these words and sentences; lack of correspondence in the spelling of words between the text of the commentary and these marginal notes supports this idea (see, for example, c. 140r).
Students’ Assignment: Steve, Sam, Daniella
Our team was fortunate to have the 1520 edition of the Divine Comedy as our assignment’s main vehicle to compare to other Dante publications from different centuries. We chose to focus on its only full page woodcut illustration in Canto 1 of Inferno. This gave us the opportunity to interact with three different situations that Dante encountered at the beginning of his journey: Dante in the dark woods, Dante approached by the three wild animals, and Dante connecting with Virgil as his guide.
Among the other books from the exhibit collection, we selected three editions of Dante’s work in English, translated by the Reverend Henry Francis Clay; two were illustrated by Gustave Doré (Dante’s Inferno and The Divine Comedy of Dante Alghieri). The Vision or Hell, Purgatory and Paradise of Dante Alghieri features illustrations by John Flaxman. Among the other works are Blake’s Illustrations of the Divine Comedy by Albert Roe and a 1921 facsimile or reproduction of the Codice Trivulziano 1080. This last book was the only book among those we reviewed that features illuminations in color. Its illustrations are stunning in their creativity, design, and artistry, and its use of color enhances the stories narrated in the cantos.
All the books that we analyzed devote a full page illustration to each of the three scenes recounted in Canto 1 of Dante’s Inferno. Conversely, the 1520 edition of the Divine Comedy represents three scenes on one page. All of these illustrations clearly tell Dante’s story evoking certain emotions in the viewer. Dante in the woods represents Dante as he was lost and confused while he was trying to understand his bearings (Canto 1, lines 1-2). Dante encountering the three wild animals evokes a sense of fear and flight, as Dante is illustrated as he went the other way from the beasts (Canto 1, lines 31-53). Dante walking off with Virgil as his guide gives a sense of confidence and trust as if he felt that he was going to find his way (Canto 1, lines 130-36).
The analyzed illustrators show their own style in their works. More specifically, William Blake’s illustrations are more eerie than the others. Neither he nor John Flaxman are interested in staying anatomically correct, which adds a ghost-like feeling and a more dramatic sense to their illustrations. The other illustrators are more faithful to the text with their depictions of the characters, the wild animals, and the events. Dore’s illustrations were incredibly detailed, showcasing his skills with engraving. In all of the illustrations, Dante and Virgil are dressed similarly according to the fashion standards at Dante’s time. The three wild animals all have the same demeanor, menacing and aggressive. Virgil is portrayed as friendly and helpful, leading Dante forward. All of these scenes communicate Dante’s text and story successfully through their varied yet similar illustrations.
Opere del divino poeta Danthe con suoi comenti recorrecti et con ogne diligentia nuovamente in littera cursiva impresse, Venezia: Bernardino Stagnino da Trino, 1520
