St. Jerome's Letters

St. Jerome (ca. 347–420).
Epistole de san Hieronymo vulgare.
[Ferrara: Laurentius de Rubeis, de Valentia, 1497]. (06347)

The first edition of St. Jerome’s letters translated into Italian was one of the most profusely and elegantly illustrated books printed during the fifteenth century. Featuring full-page ornamental woodcuts surrounding the dedication and title pages, the book includes more than eighty illustrations of the life of St. Jerome. Reflecting both the Classical influences and the high quality of book illustration in Ferrara at this time, these woodcuts set a high standard for Italian illustrators throughout the Renaissance.