ESSLING (Prince Andre Prosper Massena). Les Livres a Figures Venitiens: Études sur l'art de la Gravure sur bois a Venise... de la fin du XV Siecle et du Commencement du XVI.1907

New York. Three parts in 6 vols., folio, limited to 350 copies, over 2,000 illustrs, orig. cloth, lightly marked. This monumental work is the most exhaustive bibliographical study of illustrated books of any place, country or period ever published, and it set new standards for descriptions. Essling, one of Italy's most famous collectors, assembled a vast collection of early Venetian woodcut books which served as a basis for his bibliography of Venetian illustrated books from 1450-1525. In all 2,585 works are meticulously described and collated.