1926 The Life of Benvenuto Cellini- A Florentine Artist, Written by Himself, Translated into English by Anne Macdonell. Illustrated with 28 Drawings in Pen & Ink by Adrian DeFriston. This Book was published in London by J.M. Dent & Sons Limited. Benvenuto Cellini was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, and author. His best-known extant works include the Cellini Salt Cellar, the sculpture of Perseus with the Head of Medusa, and his autobiography, which has been described as “one of the most important documents of the 16th century”. These memoirs give a detailed account of his singular career, as well as his loves, hatreds, passions, and delights, written in an energetic, direct, and racy style; as one critic wrote, “Other goldsmiths have done finer work, but Benvenuto Cellini is the author of the most delightful autobiography ever written.” Cellini’s writing shows a great self-regard and self-assertion, sometimes running into extravagances which are impossible to believe. He even writes in a complacent way of how he contemplated his murders before carrying them out. ✨This is a rare, fine binding done by Rivière. It does have the binders stamp on the back of the first page inside. The Rivière Bindery saw great success in London’s West End from 1840 onwards. Collectors sought him out for his high quality and attention to detail, and he was commissioned to bind books for Queen Victoria and the royal family! These books are entirely bound by hand! Which is just astounding… These bindings go for a lot, due to their detail and high quality.
