CHOICE EXAMPLES OF EARLY PRINTING AND ENGRAVING.
Fac-similes from Rare and Curious Books.
EARLY VENETIAN PRINTING,
Frontispiece printed in 1521 at Venice by Bernardus de Vitalis.
The frontispiece was a special feature in Venetian books of the sixteenth century, and often included the book-plate, or trademark of the printer. More than one printer seems to have adopted St. Jerome as the figure for the book-plate, as in the present instance, where the great scholar, the author of the Vulgate or authorized Latin version of the Scriptures, is represented as seated at his desk, with the lion, his usual emblem, crouching at his feet. Other interpreters of this miniature see in the writer and the lion a representation of St. Mark the Evangelist, who was particularly honored at Venice. The coloring and typography of this page are striking. The ruby border, the bold clear lettering and spacing, make up a beautiful combination.
