AESOP Fabulae.

Fairfax Murray (German, p. 37-41) ; Adams A-291 ; VD16, A-435 ; Panzer, VI, 174, 3 ; Proctor, 14080 ; British Museum, STC (German), p. 6 ; Isaac 14080 ; Rahir II, 314 ; Contemporaries of Erasmus, p. 190-191.

An important and rare illustrated edition of Aesop Fables published by Sebastian Brant.

In addition to the Latin Aesopic corpus, it contains new fables composed by Brant (1458-1521), the literary scholar from Strasbourg who wrote the famous satirical poem Narrenschiff (The Ship of Fools).

Dean of the Faculty of Basel between 1492 and 1500, Brant was a regular visitor to the Swiss city, which was a lively cultural center at the time. He was also very much involved in publishing, including this fascinating ‘augmented’ Aesop.

The verso of the title, printed in three lines, contains a full-page woodcut portrait of Aesop, followed by a dedication by Brant to the dean of the Basel church, Adalbert de Rapperg, dated Strasbourg, ‘vii kal. Feb. 1501’. Next come the Life of Aesop and the fables, in verse and prose: the four canonical books, the Extravagantes, the Fabulae Novae, those of Avianus, Poggio, Alphonsus, etc. The last leaf of this first part (s6) is blank.

The second part is entirely devoted to the 140 fables published by Brant, ‘some of a very remarkable character’, according to Hugh W. Davies (cat. Fairfax Murray). These compositions in verse, with abundant commentary in prose, are taken from the works of Stace, Juvenal, Virgil, Ovid, Lucian, etc. The first account, taken from Hesiod, is thought to be the oldest known fable.

The volume is illustrated with 335 woodcuts in a style that is as evocative as it is varied. The 194 figures in the first part, in an archaic and ‘rough’ style, are almost all taken from the Basel edition printed around 1490 and attributed to Michael Furter, Johann Amerbach or the latter’s associate, Jacobus Wolff of Pforzheim (the printer of our Aesop). The extraordinary suite illustrating Brant’s Fables consists of 141 woodcuts by a completely different, more flexible and ‘modern’ hand, celebrated by Hugh W. Davies: “The remainder of the cuts are by a new artist, the style entirely differing from the older blocks. These are heavily shaded by thin close parallel lines, amalgamating into a solid mass in the deepest shadows. The perspective as a rule is fair : the faces are well rounded, the noses being broad at the bridge but well-shaped. The cuts have the appearance of metal, but they nevertheless are probably on wood”.

These very lively images give us an insight into the cultural environment and iconographic background of Strasbourg’s great humanist. The interest of these woodcuts goes beyond the strict framework of the fable: several figures illustrate with great finesse the costumes and customs of the period; others show scenes of everyday life in the city or in the fields; still others contain references to civil or ecclesiastical history, mythology and literature (it even includes a portrait of Dante). Not forgetting the fantastic animals, or the alcove scenes mentioned by Hugh W. Davies: “Several are bed-chamber scenes, in each case showing the absence of night-clothing”.

Sebastian Brant is shown kneeling next to his coat of arms on the verso of the first leaf of the second part. The printer Jacobus Wolff from Pforzheim was also known as ‘Jacob der Drucker’ from 1481. He became a citizen of Basel in 1482, and in the same year joined forces with Johann Amerbach to become one of Basel’s most successful printers. Several unsigned editions, long attributed to his partner, actually came from his presses. Jacobus continued to print in the early years of the 16th century; he died in 1519.

A very fine, wide-margined copy of this magnificent illustrated book.

A few old annotations in black ink in the margins; a few leaves with small tears or small portions missing in white margins formerly restored (notably leaves ‘b8’, ‘l2’, ‘p5-6’, ‘A8’, ‘C3’, ‘E7’, ‘H4’, ‘K3’, ‘M4’), small wormhole filled at the inner margin of the last 4 quires without affecting the text).

Provenance : Ebert (note in blue crayon and shelf number on the title).