The Lives and Works of Michael Angelo and Raphael, R. Duppa & Quatremère de Quincy

The Lives and Works of Michael Angelo and Raphael, R. Duppa & Quatremère de Quincy — Bohn's Illustrated Library Edition

Publication: London, H. G. Bohn, 1856

Formatting: 8vo, pp. [vi], 474.

Condition Report Good. The book is bound in the publisher's original cloth with gilt titling to the spine. The binding remains structurally sound, though it exhibits significant and striking sun-fading that vertically divides both the front and rear boards, suggesting prolonged, partial exposure to light while shelved. The extremities show moderate rubbing and minor wear to the corners and spine ends. Internally, the text block is generally firm, though there is pronounced foxing and localised age-toning concentrated on the preliminary leaves. This spotting most notably affects the frontispiece portrait of Michelangelo and the title page. The series' decorative printed endpapers remain intact. Subsequent pages display occasional, lighter spotting commensurate with the 19th-century paper stock, but the text remains entirely legible and otherwise clean throughout.

Catalogue Note This 1856 printing forms part of Bohn’s Illustrated Library, an accessible yet scholarly mid-19th-century series renowned for bringing art history to a wider Victorian audience. The text combines Richard Duppa’s pioneering biographical work on Michelangelo with Quatremère de Quincy’s history of Raphael. The volume is richly illustrated with fifteen highly finished engravings, including a detailed frontispiece portrait.

The volume carries a charming, multi-generational chain of Cornish provenance. The front pastedown bears the neat printed label of "Granville Garley, Penzance", dated August 1951. An earlier mid-19th-century ownership signature of "E. A. Barclay", dated 1856, appears on the front endpaper and is repeated on the title page. This is accompanied by the prominent ink stamp of "W. W. J. SHARPE, FALMOUTH.". While standard trade editions from Bohn's library frequently appear on the open market, copies bearing such distinctly localized, continuous provincial provenance offer a pleasing narrative of regional readership and ownership. 

A quintessential piece of Victorian art scholarship, The Lives and Works of Michael Angelo and Raphael unites the biographies of two High Renaissance titans into a single, comprehensive volume. Richard Duppa’s rigorous exploration of Michelangelo’s turbulent genius and immense artistic output is paired perfectly with Quatremère de Quincy’s elegant study of Raphael’s life and graceful aesthetic. Visually anchored by detailed steel engravings, this work provides a fascinating 19th-century lens through which to view the enduring legacy of Italy's greatest masters.