This project centers around Wesleyan University's copy of an incunable containing Dante Alighieri's Comedia and the first edition of Cristoforo Landino's Comento sopra la Comedia printed in Florence in 1481 by Niccolò di Lorenzo della Magna and financed by Bernardo degli Alberti. By 1481 printing had been present in Florence for over a decade, but the poet's criticisms of his home meant that this was the first edition to be printed in the city. Renowned for its early use of copperplate engravings, the 1481 incunable has long been connected to the painter Sandro Botticelli and engraver Baccio Baldini. This thesis seeks to reexamine the evidence behind that presumed partnership. Of the nineteen engravings made for the 1481 project, the Wesleyan incunable contains some version of fifteen: two engravings printed directly on the page, one pasted-in engraving, eleven line drawings, and one deceptive drawing made to pass as an engraving. This unique assortment of images highlights the telling ways that this copy has changed over time. By studying the motivations of the men involved, surveying the material evidence, and reconstructing the incunable's production, this thesis investigates how the Wesleyan copy came into its present state. This thesis views the 1481 incunable as a product of complex collaboration between authors, engravers, and printers as they combined new technologies to foreground Florentine greatness and reclaim Dante Alighieri, the city's most renowned exile.
"},{"label":"Degree","value":["Bachelor of Arts with Departmental Honors"]},{"label":"Author-supplied Keywords","value":["Florence","Printing","Engraving"]},{"label":"Administrative Note","value":"Drupal Node ID: 33829