farfel_n01_087_036

Geoffroy Tory, a versatile genius, born in France in 1480, an artist &
scholar who had traveled in Italy, returned to Europe & played
a major role in the final transition away from gothic type & the
stately books of the 15th C. Tory was an accomplished poet; a
lecturer in philosophy; a translator of Latin & Greek classics; a
philologist who introduced the accent, the cedilla & the apostrophe
to the French language; and a calligrapher & type designer,
engraver, printer, & publisher. Tory's beautiful Book of Hours
of 1525 is a prime example of the new lighter Renaissance
spirit in French printing. The final borders & decorations are
pen & charming, free of the crowded pictoral details of earlier
woodcuts, & perfect in their harmony [with] the type.
In 1530 Francois rewarded Tory [with] the coveted title
Imprimeur du Roi. In 1533 Tory died, having taken his place
in French typographic history as the chief forebearer of a line
of Royal Printers.

- Pierre Le Rouge 1488-9 2 vol. folio Mer des Hystoires
1487 - first Imprineur du Roi.
# 304 - French royal arms in lower piece

- There are 12 illustrations from 13 blacks 3 5/8 x 2 1/2
unsigned & probably not by Tory himself. This is an entirely
different set of blocks from that used in 1524-5.
Bernard cites 26 complete borders which recur in regular
order; actually the sections are interchanged even before
the first sequence is complete.

lettres batardes, 25 long lines to a page, red & black, royal 810.
(8 5/8 x 5 1/2") the 13 beautiful outline cuts appear in this edition
for the 1st time - 11 of them resemble the designs of
the 1525 edition but the others (the Shepherds & the Sibyl)
are new subjects.

The Annunciation is represented in 2 separate compartments ie the woodcut
of the Angel is placed on the verso of 1 leaf so as to face that of the
Virgin on recto of the next leaf.