Pianta della Città ,e Porto di Livorno fatta sotto gli Auspici di S.A.R. Ferdinando III... Gran-Duca Di Toscana

Magnificent and rare map of Leghorn, engraved by Giuseppe Angeli (1709 - 1798) from a subject by Antonio Piemontesi known as il Baseggio (1737-1813).

In the lower right margin R. Spadaccini contornò la Pianta, e Gius.  Angeli incise. Bottom center, Antonio Piemontesi's dedication: “Dedicata agli ill.mi SS.ri Consoli, e Negozianti residenti nella suddetta Piazza [Piazza d'Arme] Dal Loro Umil.mo e Dev.mo Serv.e Antonio Piemontesi” with vignette depicting the lighthouse with the Gorgona in the background; following this is the indication of responsibility for the drawing con la Gorgona sullo sfondo; a seguire l'indicazione di responsabilità del disegno dovuta allo stesso "Ant. Piemontesi detto Baseggio di Vienna disegnò". Top center coat of arms and state flag of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany with the title within ribbon cartouche on either side. Left in composition the legend of places with 32 cross-references. On both sides of the map 5 small views of the most interesting places: Veduta di Livorno, Palazzo della Comunità, Porta S. Marco, Lazzaretto S. Rocco, Veduta della Piazza D’Arme, Veduta di Livorno nell’anno 1421, la R. Dogana, Bocca della Darsena, Torre del Marzocco, Veduta della Darsena.

As Piero Frati points out (see Livorno nelle antiche stampe. Piante e vedute della città dalla fine del secolo XVI alla fine del secolo XIX p. 108) in some examples the titles of the views and the signatures (first states) are missing or handwritten. I would add that, our example has Piemontesi's signature in the dedication, missing in other examples consulted.

The views are derived from paintings by Piemontesi himself. The engraving is undated, but the dedication to Ferdinand III allows us to narrow the date between 1791 and 1799.

The collection of views of Livorno, oriental ports, seascapes and scenes of naval battles - made by Giacomo Baseggio (Venice 1740 ? - before 1789) and his son Antonio (Venice 1760/1765 - ?) in collaboration with Antonio Piemontesi known as il Baseggio (Vienna 1737 - Livorno 1813) in the 1780s for Pietro Leopoldo of Tuscany - consists of more than forty works including tempera and colored engravings, an expression of his great interest in landscape themes, particularly seascapes. It was in fact the Grand Duke of Tuscany, son of Maria Theresa of Hapsburg and Francis I of Lorraine, who commissioned the cycle from the family of artists of Venetian origin who had opened a flourishing workshop in Livorno, at that time one of the most vital centers of production of vedutismo throughout the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. The series of views of the port of Livorno, as well as the other landscapes and battle scenes, was most likely taken to Vienna in 1790 when Peter Leopold left Florence having acquired the title of Emperor of Austria.

Etching, printed on contemporary laid paper, in very good condition.

Bibliografia

Piero Frati, Livorno nelle antiche stampe. Piante e vedute della città dalla fine del  secolo XVI alla fine del secolo XIX, Livorno 2000, n. 164.