Haedus's Anterotica

Haedus's Anterotica
Gerardus de Lisa, 1492
HAEDUS, Petrus (1427–1504). Anterotica, sive De amoris generibus. Treviso: Gerardus de Lisa de Flandria, 13 October 1492.

First and only incunable edition of a Humanist treatise on the dangers and delights of carnal love. Through a dense web of classical allusions, Haedus explores love, passion, and pride as the moderator in his own dialogue—beginning, of course, in the library. The two other interlocutors are priest Antonius Philermus and poet Aemilius Cimeriacus (who contributed an introductory poem). A virtuosic work of Humanist learning and human experience, it is also remarkably beautiful. Of the types, Schulderer writes “a quite original face, with its wealth of curves and serifs, and its greatly prolonged ascenders and descenders, which gives his volumes a flavor of fine printing, admirably consonant to their small bulk and format." The printer was apparently a friend of the author. HC 8343*; GW 12109; BMC VI 885; BSB-Ink H-2; Bod-inc H-001; IGI 4642; Goff H-2; ISTC ih00002000. V. Schulderer, "A Fleming in Venice," in Fifty Essays, pp. 113-126.

Chancery quarto (201 x 149mm). 104 leaves. (First leaf lightly dustsoiled, occasional light foxing, small marginal paper repair to one leaf.) Modern red morocco (cover detached). Provenance: marginal comments throughout, effaced inscription on final blank – acquired from H.P. Kraus, 11 April 1955.