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12X18. Della Architettura di Leon Battista Alberti Libri X. Della Pittura Libri III. E Della Statua Libro I. Tradotti in Lingua Italian written in english and italian, rebound circa 1950, previous owners book plate on inside of front cover, gilt on spine, pages age toned, black and white illustrations, some foxing, additional postage required. Vol. I has 104 pgs; Vol. II has 130 pgs; Vol. III has 35 pgs. _PAB_

First English edition, first printing. Bound in full period-style crimson Morocco leather with elaborately gilt ruled edges and spine compartments; black Morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, all edges speckled, four volumes, 11x17", tall 8vos. Book 4 is divided into 2 parts, and all 5 parts contain translations and title pages in Italian and French. Copper engraved allegorical frontis and full page portrait of Palladio by Bernard Picart. Translator's preface, list of subscribers, and 218 copper-engraved plates, of which 15 are double-page, and 12 in-text engravings, all after Giacomo Leoni. Near Fine with light edge wear. A few leaves washed with only traces of occasional marginal spotting not affecting plates. A few leaves with subtle paper reinforcement; one leaf in Vol. IV with small loss to corner not affecting text. The scarce first edition of this cornerstone treatise by Venetian architect Giacomo Leoni. Leoni is considered one of the greatest architects in Western history and best known for his villas, palaces and churches. "While Palladio's work had been partially published in English in the 1600s, this edition was the first English translation published in toto. Trained in Rome, Andrea Palladio's education extended from building practices to town-planning. However, his significance in the history of architecture is rooted in his study of ancient Rome, including Vitruvius: Palladio's observations are the manifestation of Renaissance ideals; this work is second only to Vitruvius in its enduring impact in the field of architecture. According to Printing and the Mind of Man, subscribers to this edition included "Wren, Vanbrugh, Hawksmoor, and Lord Burlington's mother." The total list of subscribers amounts to only 308 individuals, suggesting the total copies printed numbered only a few hundred." PMM, 92.