Seneca's Tragedies

Seneca's Tragedies – Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani – C.F. 2.5 – Biblioteca Oratoriana dei Girolamini (Naples, Italy)

Italy β€” Last quarter of the 14th century

Hercules and Cerberus, Orpheus and Eurydice: Seneca's unbiased view of man in his tragedies embedded in the elegant aesthetics of 14th century book art

  1. Seneca (ca. 4 BC – AD 65) was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, and dramatist

  2. Seneca’s works were rediscovered during the Middle Ages by Italian Humanists who greatly admired him

  3. His tragedies were hugely influential on the emerging theatrical traditions of both England and France

Seneca's Tragedies

Facsimile Copy Available!
Price Category: €€€
(3,000€ - 7,000€)
  1. Description
  2. Facsimile Editions (1)
Description
Seneca's Tragedies

During the Middle Ages, Italian humanists rediscovered the works of Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger (ca. 4 BC – AD 65), a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, and dramatist. Among the most important were his tragedies, which were hugely influential on both the French neoclassical and Elizabethan tragedies. As such, Seneca’s influence can be seen in both the works of Jean Racine (1639-99) and William Shakespeare (1564-1616). An exceptionally illuminated 14th century manuscript of the work was created by the so-called Master of the Seneca dei Girolamini, one of the most representative and skilled illuminators of the Angevin age. Tabular miniatures making use of dreamy blue backgrounds and glimmering gold leaf in the margins surround and illustrate the text along with extensive ornamentation and decorative friezes. An exceptional visual and emotional impact arouse in the reader some myths that Seneca recalls in his tragedies and that the illuminator accurately portrays, such as the descent of Hercules into Hades and the capture of Cerberus, or the poignant story of Orpheus and Eurydice.

Codicology

Alternative Titles
Tragedie di Seneca
Seneca Girolamini
Senecas TragΓΆdien
Size / Format
458 pages / 32.0 Γ— 23.0 cm
Origin
Italy
Date
Last quarter of the 14th century
Style
Language
Script
Gothic
Illustrations
87 pages illuminated by miniatures, historiated initials and borders
Content
Hercules Furens; Troades; Phoenissae; Medea; Phedra; Agamemnon; Hercules Oetaeus; Oedipus, Thyestes; Hyppolitus
Artist / School
Previous Owners
Giuseppe Valletta

Available facsimile editions:
Seneca's Tragedies – Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani – C.F. 2.5 – Biblioteca Oratoriana dei Girolamini (Naples, Italy)
Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani – Rome, 2018
Limited Edition: 290 copies
Facsimile Editions

#1 Seneca. Il Teatro

Seneca's Tragedies – Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani – C.F. 2.5 – Biblioteca Oratoriana dei Girolamini (Naples, Italy)
Seneca's Tragedies – Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani – C.F. 2.5 – Biblioteca Oratoriana dei Girolamini (Naples, Italy) Copyright Photos: Ziereis Facsimiles

Publisher: Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani – Rome, 2018
Limited Edition: 290 copies
Commentary: 1 volume by Marco Cursi, Carla Maria Monti, Maria Perriccioli Saggese, Massimo; Bray, and Alma Serena Lucianelli
Language: Italian
1 volume: Exact reproduction of the original document (extent, color and size) Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.
Facsimile Copy Available!
Price Category: €€€
(3,000€ - 7,000€)
You might also be interested in:
Alexander Romance - The Travels of Marco Polo – Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani – Bodley 264 – Bodleian Library (Oxford, United Kingdom)
Alexander Romance - The Travels of Marco Polo
Tournai (Belgium); London (United Kingdom) – 1338–1410

Begun in Flanders, completed in London, and now a treasure of the Bodleian Library: luminous miniatures and fascinating marginal illuminations in a large-format compendium of the most popular tales of the Middle Ages

Experience More
Petrarca: Trionfi - Rome Codex – Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani – 55.K.10 – Biblioteca dell'Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana (Rome, Italy)
Petrarca: Trionfi - Rome Codex
Florence (Italy) – Second half of the 15th century

Grandiose art to embellish grandiose art: an accurately and filigree illuminated masterpiece of Renaissance illumination in honor of the most famous poem of the great Francesco Petrarch

Experience More
Blog articles worth reading
Filter selection
Publisher