128 - [FERDINAND VII] GIL RANZ, Luis. Gift book: A wedding ode for the marriage of Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias and future King of Spain, and Marie-Antoinette of Bourbon-Naples.

[FERDINAND VII] GIL RANZ, Luis. Gift book: A wedding ode for the marriage of Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias and future King of Spain, and Marie-Antoinette of Bourbon-Naples. An exceptional gift book, entirely handwritten by a student of Goya in Neo-Latin and Spanish, celebrating the royal wedding of 1802. In a superb binding adorned with Ferdinand VII’s ex-libris and his coat of arms as Prince of Asturias on the slipcase. No place [Madrid?], no publisher, no date [1803]. 8vo, full red long-grain morocco, smooth spine adorned with a long gilded design composed of gilded arabesques, framing the covers is a gilded frieze accented with gilded palm leaves at the corners and lined with a gilded fillet adorned with four gilded fans at the inner corners; in the center is the coat of arms of the heir to the Spanish crown with the monogram “F,” a fine inner border with a gold fillet, a fine gold roulette on the edges, green silk linings and endpapers, gilt edges, and an aubergine-colored percale slipcase stamped on the front cover with the gold coat of arms of the Prince of Asturias. 52 pages on parchment framed by a double border and entirely written in black ink, with initials highlighted in red and gold. Covers show signs of wear (a small, incipient tear on the top cover), fragile hinges (a tear on the first one), a few foxing spots on the parchment, and the last leaf is discolored. The case is worn at the corners. The volume opens with medallion portraits of Ferdinand and Marie Antoinette in profile. Arranged side by side, they face each other above a cartouche bearing the inscription: “Ferdinand and Marie Antoinette / Princes of Asturias.” This title page is signed: “Luis Gil Ranz lo vi°. y del". con la pluma Año 1803” (Luis Gil Ranz witnessed it and drew it in pen, year 1803). This refers to Don Luis Gil Ranz (1787–1862), then a young calligrapher whose strokes were still deliberate, as evidenced by the portraits and rural compositions in the initial letters. Born into a humble family of farmers in the Guadalajara region, his precocious talent as a draftsman was recognized by his uncle, a bookseller, who took him to Madrid. At the age of 12, he enrolled in the prestigious San Fernando Academy. Thanks to the influence of his cousin, the high-ranking magistrate Antonio Ranz Romanillos, he received a royal scholarship to train directly in the studio of the famous painter Francisco de Goya. Deaf like his master, the young man communicated with him through sign language and adopted his style of rapid sketching with pen and ink. The collection contains a long poetic song recited by a young boy during the wedding celebrations. The first double-page spread, adorned with arabesques, presents the text in Neo-Latin on the left and in Spanish on the right. It solemnly proclaims: “Mariano Pedrueza, then an eleven-year-old boy, praised in this nuptial ode, as much as his age allowed, the Most Serene Princes of Asturias, Ferdinand and Marie Antoinette.” The Latin and Spanish versions, presented side by side, resonate perfectly and complement one another: - The Neo-Latin version (left-hand page) celebrates the sacred union as well as the young reciter’s virtuosity: “This young boy, whose mind is still tender, who sings of the illustrious and chaste nuptial bed, is the admiration of all men as well as of posterity .”
Imbued with poetry of ancient inspiration, these lines implicitly evoke the origins of the bride, a descendant of the House of Bourbon-Naples: “And you, star of ardent love, who pour forth your red and brilliant rays at the earliest opportunity, I beg you, be present with your serene radiance, O [star] of Parthenope.” - The Spanish version (right-hand page) extols the dynastic legitimacy and divine destiny of Ferdinand, Prince of Asturias, destined to reign over the peninsula: “You are protected by the supreme deity; she bows before you, and, in her benevolence, destines you to rule Iberia.” Finally, the nuptial ode offers a stirring evocation of the future royal lineage, poetically associated with images of nature’s abundance and fertility. The last page ends with the word “FINIS,” illuminated in red and gold and surmounted by the royal crown of Spain. An elegant arabesque design extends into the second half of the page, once again incorporating the calligrapher’s signature: “Ranz lo escribio” (Ranz wrote it). Rare!