1820 ❧ GIRONI, ROBUSTINO. 1759-1838. Le danze dei Greci descritte e pubblicate pel fausti...

1820 ❧ GIRONI, ROBUSTINO. 1759-1838. Le danze dei Greci descritte e pubblicate pel faustissimo imeneo di sua altezza imperiale e reale il serenissimo principe ranieri arciduca d'austria, ecc. ecc. ecc. e viceré del regno lombardo-veneto con sua altezza serenissima la principessa elisabetta di savoia-carignano, ecc. ecc. Milano: Imperiale Regia Stamperia, 1820. Folio (336 x 221 mm). 6 hand colored aquatint plates. Contemporary calf richly gilt, covers framed by an ornate gilt roll, sprinkled with gold, spine in compartments with green morocco lettering piece. FIRST EDITION, LIMITED to 80 copies, was published to celebrate the marriage of Archduke Ranieri of Habsburg and Princess Elisabetta of Savoy-Carignano. The author, Robustiano Gironi, was a Milanese intellectual and librarian who specialized in classical antiquities, particularly the history of Greek dance, music, and theater. Le danze dei greci is a quintessential Neoclassical work, reflecting a period that valued balance, order, and idealized, refined depictions of classical subjects, as noted in Encyclopedia.com's entry on Neoclassicism. The study of Greek dance was prompted by the 18th-century rediscovery of Pompeii and Herculaneum and reinforced by contemporary 'attitudes'-performances where dancers embodied classical figures. In this context, Gironi presents a theory of continuous tradition between ancient and modern Greek dances, echoing comparative studies like Pierre-Augustin Guys' Voyage littéraire de la Grèce (1771). For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing