Narra Apuleo, che (mentr'egli cangiato In Asino, serviva à genti ladre) Una sposa rubbaro il destinato Didele nozze le rapaci squadre. Cui (per farle scordare un sogno ingrato) Dona conforto una canuta madre, Che l'havea in guardia, e con grata favella Le racconta di Psiche la novella.
RA Collection: Book
Record number
06/831
Variant Title
Psiche di Raffaelle
Imprint
[Rome:]: (Ant. Sal. exc.);, [15--.]
Physical Description
32 pl.; [first copy] 254×320 mm.; [second copy] 245×380 mm.
Responsibility Note
Plates 7 and 13 are signed 'A.V.' (and according to Bartsch plate 4 should also have this signature). No other plate is signed by draughtsman or engraver. Bartsch explains 'A.V.' as 'Augustin Venitien' (i.e. Agostino dei Musi), and attributes the other plates to the anonymous 'Maitre au Dé'.
Each plate carries the imprint, 'Ant. Sal. exc.'
References
Italy. Ministero Per I Beni Culturali E Ambientali. Istituto Nazionale Per La Grafica., Raphael Invenit: Stampe Da Raffaello Nelle Collezioni Dell'Istituto Nazionale Per La Grafica: Catalogo (1985); Raphael Et La Seconde Main: Raphaël dans la gravure du XVIe siècle [exhibition catalogue] (1984); K. Oberhuber, ed., The works of Marcantonio Raimondi and of his school (1978) ( = vols. 26, 27 (XIV: i, ii) of The illustrated Bartsch); A. Bartsch, Le Peintre Graveur, vol. 15 (1813), nos. 39-70, p.211-24.
The context is surveyed in D.C. Allen, Mysteriously meant: the rediscovery of pagan symbolism (1970); J. Seznec, The survival of the pagan gods (1953, r. 1972).
Roberto Peliti (ed.), La favola di Psiche : disegnata da Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino e intagliata a bulino, vivente Raffaello, dal "Maestro del dado" e da Agostino Veneziano e in seguito restaurata da Francesco Villamena; con un ragionamento di Alfredo Petrucci, Roma : Peliti, 1996.
Summary Note
There is no title-page or title-plate. Our title is from the opening words of the caption of the first plate. The presence of the imprint 'Ant. Sal. exc.' on each plate in this set is said by Bartsch to indicate that this is an example of the second state. (He also describes a third state in which there are no engraved captions.)
The plates are each captioned with two quatrains in Italian, and show incidents in Apuleius's story of Cupid and Psyche.
Provenance
[Copy 1]: Verso of front free endpaper is inscribed in pencil by the RA Librarian George Jones RA: 'Bequest of P. Hoare Esqr. 1836 GJ'. (Prince Hoare Bequest).
Binding Note
[Copy 1]: 17th-century calf, upper and lower covers with blind-stamped borders; rebacked in 20th century, retaining earlier spine-piece, red morocco spine-labels lettered 'Psiche De Raphae' and 'R.A.'
[Copy 2:] 18th-century mottled calf, rebound in 20th century, retaining earlier spine-piece, red morocco spine-label lettered 'La Psiche Di Raffaell', spine lettered 'R.A.'