Beschreibung:

PIRANESI, Giovanni Battista (1720-1778). Vedute di Roma . [Rome and Paris: 1748-1774]. Broadsheets (534 x 763mm). Etched title (Hind 1III), frontispiece (Hind 2III), and 91 etched plates. (Title-page soiled, frontispiece trimmed along upper edge to platemark, marginal dampstaining affecting first few plates, last plate lightly soiled). Late 18th-century calf-backed boards (extremities rubbed, slightly scuffed). A fine copy of the greater part of Piranesi's celebrated Vedute di Roma . Piranesi's success rested on four important factors: firstly he paid considerable attention to detail, secondly he depicted contemporary Rome and he frequently up-dated the plates, thirdly, the large scale of these prints made them difficult to copy, but above all it was the high quality of his work which proved a stumbling block for potential copyists. Subject matter was carefully chosen and there is a clear progression from popular tourist sites and views to a more comprehensive documentation of Rome's buildings and ruins. This set of dark impressions on thick, laid, Italian paper is comprised of the following prints (Hind numbers and states): 3IV, 4III, 5III, 6IV, 7III, 8III, 88I or II, 9III, 87I or II, 10II, 11II, 12II, 13I, 14III, 15III, 16IV, 17IV, 18IV, 66I, 19III, 20II, 21II, 22II, 23I, 24II, 25II, 26II, 89I, 28IV, 27II, 64I, 68I, 83I, 31II, 29II, 30I, 32II, 33III, 34III, 35III, 36I, 37III, 38II, 39II, 40III, 41III, 42II, 43III, 44II, 114I, 46III, 47II, 48II, 81I, 49III, 50III, 51III, 52III, 53II, 54III, 55II, 56III, 57I, 78I or II, 71I, 72I, 58IV, 59III, 76I, 77II, 60I, 82I, 86I, 61I, 62I, 63I, 80II, 79I, 65I, 84I, 73I, 93I, 90I or II, 85I, 69I, 70I, 67I or II, 74I or II, 75I or II, 92I, and 91II. Together these form a fine set made up from plates from the last Roman and first Parisian editions. Hind pp.39-68; Focillon pp.336-352.