The Animal Book of Pier Candido

The Animal Book of Pier Candido – Belser Verlag – Urb. lat. 276 – Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vatican City, State of the Vatican City)

Italy β€” Written ca. 1460; Illuminated ca. 1550

Petrus Candidus' famous natural history commissioned by the Marquis of Mantua: a lexical masterpiece of humanism, subsequently enriched with almost 500 realistic depictions of animals

  1. The Latin text by the Humanist Pier Candido (ca. 1399–1477) describes natural history and the lives of animals

  2. Ca. 1550 a total of 496 colored, realistic animal pictures, some of which are decorated with gold and silver elements, were added to the text

  3. Ludovico Gonzaga (1412–78), Marquis of Mantua and animal lover, commissioned the lexicon

The Animal Book of Pier Candido

Facsimile Copy Available!
Price Category: €€
(1,000€ - 3,000€)
  1. Description
  2. Detail Picture
  3. Single Page
  4. Facsimile Editions (2)
Description
The Animal Book of Pier Candido

The magnificently illuminated Animal Book of Pier Candido was originally written in Italy ca. 1460. Also known as Pietro, Candido Decembrio was a humanist scholar and author who served as the secretary to numerous important Renaissance princes and even worked at the chancery of Pope Nicholas V. His Latin text describing natural history and the life of animals was appended by an anonymous master ca. 1550 with over 200 bas-de-page miniatures containing a total of 496 animals, birds, and insects, some of which are adorned with gold and silver highlights. Satyrs and hybrids as well as other mythological creatures like the Pegasus are depicted side by side with real animals and are painted with the same attention to detail. These incredibly artful and naturalistic miniatures are fine specimens demonstrating the level of refinement reached by Italian Renaissance artists during the Cinquecento.

The Animal Book of Pier Candido

There is a highly valuable collection of zoological manuscripts in the Apostolic Library of the Vatican. Descriptions and depictions of animals of all kinds, as they were seen in nature by the respective book masters, are found in these books. Our modern biological knowledge naturally did not yet play any role at that time. One of the most famous works of this kind is The Animal Book of Pier Candido. It is an astounding encyclopedia, which was able to combine contemporary natural studies with medieval myths and legends. The work was created ca. 1460 and was endowed with a total of 496 colored and gold-adorned illustrations around 100 years later.

Pier Candido the Humanist

The Italian Pier Candido Decembrio, called Petrus Candidus in Latin, was born ca. 1399 and died in 1477 in Milan. He was one of the most famous humanists of his time and was an influential politician in Italy. He worked for a long time at the court of the Milanese Duke Filippo Maria Visconti, for whom he wrote a biography. Candido produced numerous writings and translations. On his tombstone, a total of 127 titles for which he was responsible are recorded. Probably his most famous work is the β€œbestiary” – his Animal Book.

The Animal Life of the Renaissance

Ludovico Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua, commissioned the lexicon. The Marquis was famous as a great lover of animals. Candido composed a work that contained all of the natural scientific information which was known in 1460. He allowed for the influence of mythological stories and in doing so created an informative and exciting book, which was illuminated with colorful images ca. 1550. The miniatures show realistic animal figures in eight different colors. Many of the miniatures were additionally embellished with decorative elements of gold and silver. The book margins were set in 23 carat gold. The natural history of the Renaissance was bound here in one of the Vatican’s most splendid codices.

Codicology

Alternative Titles
Tierbuch des Petrus Candidus
De omnium animalium natura
De animantium naturis
Bestiary of Petrus Candidus: Book of Animals
Il libro degli animali di Pietro Candido Decembrio
Size / Format
472 pages / 27.0 Γ— 20.0 cm
Origin
Italy
Date
Written ca. 1460; Illuminated ca. 1550
Language
Illustrations
469 colored, detailed animal illustrations at the bottom of the pages
Artist / School

Available facsimile editions:
The Animal Book of Pier Candido – Belser Verlag – Urb. lat. 276 – Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vatican City, State of the Vatican City)
Belser Verlag – Zurich, 1984
Limited Edition: 2400 copies

The Animal Book of Pier Candido – Belser Verlag – Urb. lat. 276 – Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vatican City, State of the Vatican City)
Belser Verlag – Zurich, 1984
Limited Edition: 2400 copies
Detail Picture

The Animal Book of Pier Candido

Frogs

Frogs are an important part of the ecosystem and possess cultural importance across the world. In folklore, frogs are used as metaphors for those possessing hidden talents in spite of their appearance. Medieval theologians distinguished between land and water frogs, regarding the former as righteous while the latter were sinful. A variety of frogs are presented here in artful and natural detail alongside a succulent grasshopper, a fine feast for a frog.

The Animal Book of Pier Candido – Belser Verlag – Urb. lat. 276 – Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vatican City, State of the Vatican City)
Single Page

The Animal Book of Pier Candido

On Horses

The horse was an animal of tremendous importance for both war and peace during the Middle Ages, especially for a great nobleman like the Milanese Duke Filippo Maria Visconti, who commissioned this work. This bas-de-page miniature is a fine specimen of Italian Renaissance art and displays the skill of the great master Pietro Candido.

On a bright field of gold, we see ten horses running, bucking, and playing with one another. Each is colored individually – some are solid shades of brown or gray, others are mottled, all have flowing manes and tails as well as friendly facial expressions. They are presented in a very naturalistic manner with close attention paid to producing realistic proportions, musculature, shading, and shadows.

The Animal Book of Pier Candido – Belser Verlag – Urb. lat. 276 – Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vatican City, State of the Vatican City)
Facsimile Editions

#1 Tierbuch des Petrus Candidus (Leather edition)

Belser Verlag – Zurich, 1984

Publisher: Belser Verlag – Zurich, 1984
Limited Edition: 2400 copies
Binding: Red leather with rich gold stamping
Commentary: 1 volume (216 pages) by Cynthia Munro Pyle
Languages: English, German
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: €€
(1,000€ - 3,000€)

#2 Tierbuch des Petrus Candidus (Linen edition)

Belser Verlag – Zurich, 1984

Publisher: Belser Verlag – Zurich, 1984
Limited Edition: 2400 copies
Binding: Green linen
Commentary: 1 volume (216 pages) by Cynthia Munro Pyle
Languages: English, German
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.
Formerly 2,980  β‚¬
Special Offer until 01/31/2024 (like new) 899  β‚¬
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