The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri. A Verse Translation with Introductions & Commentary by Allen Mandelbaum. Drawings by Barry Moser.

Three volumes, 278 x 174 mm. xxiv, [2], 307, [3]; xxvii, [2], 303, [3]; xxi, [3], 307, [5] pages. On the frontespiece Dante's portrait. 105 illustrations in black and white, after Barry Moser, captions printed in red for the Inferno, green for Purgatorio, pale blue for the Paradiso. Original editorial bindings in beige cloth, red label on the spines, coloured pastedowns anf flyleaves. With the original dust jackets. A very fine copy.

Provenance: Livio Ambrogio collection.

A handsome edition of the Commedia, translated into English and edited by Allen Mandelbaum, illustrated by Barry Moser (1940-), and printed on Mohawk Superfine paper. The text is set in the font Monotype Dante, designed by the printer and scholar Giovanni Mardersteig (1892-1977). Barry Moser is one of the most renowned American printmakers and illustrators, famous for the Moby Dick published in 1979 for the Arion Press. "As the work came into focus, I felt much apprehension and come fear in the face of my predecessors. For me, the company of Botticelli, Blake, Baskin and Lebrun, was awestriking [...] My apprehensions notwithstanding the project began with designing of the text and determination of the subjects and sequence of the illustrations. To do this, Mandelbaum and I conferred and corresponded at lenght, compiling lists of iconographic ideas [...] Two limitations were imposed: one that the drawings be literal, and two, that they work within a rigid format which be would be organic with the gestalt of the book" (from the preliminary Note on the Drawings for the California Dante, by B. Moser).