IBARRA, JOAQUIN. 1725-1785; PRINTER. SALLUST. 86-34 B.C.E. La conjuracion de Catilina y la Guerra de Jugurta. Madrid: Joachin Ibarra, 1772.

IBARRA, JOAQUIN. 1725-1785; PRINTER.

SALLUST. 86-34 B.C.E.
La conjuracion de Catilina y la Guerra de Jugurta. Madrid: Joachin Ibarra, 1772.

Folio (362 x 254 mm). Engraved title page, portrait frontispiece and 9 plates, including one map. Contemporary red morocco, covers bordered by gilt dogtooth and twining floral rolls, raised bands, spine gilt in double-ruled compartments with acanthus leaf cornerpieces and central daisy surrounded by dots and small flowers, turn-ins repeating the floral roll, blue watered silk endleaves, all edges gilt. Minor rubbing to joints and extremities, covers with slight variation in color, bookplate on free front endleaf.


Provenance: Florencio Gavito (Mexican bibliophile); Sale of the library of Edmond Rostand, 1920 (tipped-in typed note).




DELUXE ISSUE, ONE OF 120 LARGE PAPER COPIES, of the masterwork of perhaps the greatest Spanish printer of all time and certainly the greatest printer Spain produced in the 18th century. First Edition of this translation, combining the Latin text of the 1634 Elzevier edition with a translation by the Infante Don Gabriel of Spain, son of the Spanish King Carlos III. Some of the only extant texts of Sallust, this volume includes his history of the conspiracy against Cataline and his account of the Roman war against Jugurtha. Ibarra established himself at a fortunate time for printers in Spain: when Carlos II ascended the throne, he determined to improve all Spanish industry, but especially the book arts. The king exempted printers, typefounders, and punchcutters from military service, and reduced the price of metal used in making type, thereby stimulating production of new fonts. Ibarra was an innovative printer, experimenting with paper to reduce plate mark impressions, developing his own printing ink noted for its quality, and establishing standard measures for the production of type. His talents led to his appointment as royal printer. Cohen-de Ricci 938; Palau 288.134; Salvà 2791; Schweiger II, 900.

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