Felsina pittrice : vite de pittori bolognesi
Carlo Cesare Malvasia's Felsina pittrice, printed in Bologna in 1678 by the heir of Domenico Barbieri, collects biographies of Bolognese painters for scholars, collectors and artists. The plates here are woodcut initial letters set in square blocks, their capitals wrapped in foliage, scrolling stems and small grotesque heads, offering designers a full alphabet of decorated drop caps and border frames.
