Soratte Palombara

View from the Raccolta di alcune delle più belle vedute d'Italia con brevi annotazioni dell'Abate R. Venuti Presidente delle Antichità di Roma e Socio delle Accademie Reali d'Inghilterra, intagliate da vari celebri incisori. Roma 1761 a rare collection of views initiated and executed by James Forrester (Dublin, 1729 - Rome, 1775) from designs by Peter Stephens members of the large, interesting colony of Anglo-Saxon artists present in Rome in the 18th century (Bryan: "James Forrester resided several years in Italy where he etched several plates of landscapes, which are executed in a neat and pleasing style"; Bénézit, XII, p. 229: "S. P. Dessinateur amateur. A publié en 1761 à Londres un Album de quelques vues d'Italie.").

The commissioning of the work is due to Abbot Ridolfino Venuti (Cortona, 1705 - Rome, 1763), one of the leading archaeologists of the 18th century, author of the famous Descrizione topografica delle antichità di Roma, member of the Royal Society of London, and with his brothers Niccolò and Filippo, also archaeologists, founder of the famous Accademia Etrusca of Cortona.

The collection was integrated and reprinted in 1767; some of the 150 plates in this volume are signed by "Nicole" (Claude François Nicole I, 1700-1783) many others are signed by James Forrester, a couple are signed by George Dance, Christopher Norton or James Roberts. Most others are marked with a particular monogram that looks like "WR" or "WR D.," presumably referring to another draughtsman. Many have engraved titles and plate numbers; double numbers indicate one group of Nicole and another of Forrester. Most of the plates, however, are not signed by either Nicole or Forrester and are of distinctly inferior quality. They are presumably the work of an amateur who has not yet been identified.

Copperplate engraving, in very good condition. Very rare.