The Four Rivers

Etching and engraving, 1704, lettered lower right “Fran Aquila delin. et Sculp” (3 of 4) and one “Fran Aquila del. Et Sculp.”.

Good examples, printed on contemporary laid paper, in good condition.

The four plate show the four river gods of the famous Fountain of the Four Rivers designed in 1651 by Gian Lorenzo Bernini for Pope Innocent X.

Collectively, they represent four major rivers of the four continents through which papal authority had spread: the Nile representing Africa, the Danube representing Europe, the Ganges representing Asia, and the Río de la Plata representing the Americas.

The plates belong to the series Raccolta di Statue antiche e moderne data in luce sotto i gloriosi auspicj della Santita di N. S. Papa Clemente 11. da Domenico de Rossi illustrata colle sposizioni a ciascheduna immagine di Pauolo Alessandro Maffei [...], published by Domenico de Rossi, Rome 1704.
Each one with the caption along bottom and numbered at upper right, lower left: “In Roma nella Stamp.a di Dom.com de Rossi alla pace, con Privil.o”.