Giovanni Boccaccio was a fourteenth-century Italian writer, best known as the author of a collection of tales called Decameron, which Chaucer probably read before writing his Canterbury Tales. The text in this volume, Concerning Famous Women, is a compilation of short biographies of 106 women across history, classical myths and biblical narratives. Originally written in 1361-62, it is a work meant to inspire readers to pursue virtue, and is the first example in western literature of a collection of women’s biographies. It includes accounts of the lives of the first woman, Eve, down to Boccaccio’s contemporary Joanna d’Anjou, the powerful queen of the Kingdom of Naples. Among the mythological characters believed at the time to have been real historical figures we find Helen of Troy and Dido, alongside Greek and Roman goddesses. This is a first edition and was the first title to be printed in the city of Ulm (Germany).

The image shown above portrays the exposure of the celebrated affair between Venus, goddess of Love, and Mars, god of War. Her husband Vulcan, god of fire and metalworking, is represented while he exposes the adulterers to the derision of other gods. Venus' son, Cupid, who is sometimes described as the offspring of this liaison, marches ahead of her.

Bibliographic description
Chancery paper folio. 118 leaves numbered in Roman numerals, excluding the first two leaves containing a table of contents. No printed signatures. Single columns of 16-33 lines. Woodcut initials with foliage and zoomorphic motifs; single border depicting Adam and Eve and the Tree of Knowledge (f.iii verso); woodcut vignettes portraying biblical scenes, classical myths and illustrations from real historical figures at almost every opening. 

Binding description 
Armorial red straight-grained morocco made for George III. Covers decorated with gilt fillets to form concentric borders with the royal coat of arms as centrepiece; gilt fillets on board edges and turn-ins. Spine is flat with gilt fillets, tools and titling; sewn on 5 cords with double worked headbands in pink, cream and green at head and tail. Textblock trimmed and gilted. Endpapers of marbled and plain paper.