Francesco Solimena (1657-1747) - Pietro Antonio Martini...

Original etching and engraving on a single plate by an 18th-century aquaforte and bulino, commissioned by Abbot Jean-Claude Richard de Saint-Non. They are part of the famous editorial work "Voyage pittoresque ou Description des royaumes de Naples et de Sicile", published in Paris around 1780-1785. Etchings on a single plate and single sheet, impression on laid paper with filigree watermark. Excellent inking and good state of preservation, traces of foxing and browning as in the photo. Sheet intact with ample original margins. insured shipping via Bartolini/DPD courier. To take advantage of the insurance coverage, any damage to the package must be contested and reported to the courier at delivery. Otherwise, it will not be possible to activate the insurance reimbursement procedure. Designer: Jean-Honoré Fragonard (as indicated by the inscription at the lower left: "Dessiné par Fragonard"). During his journey in Italy, Fragonard produced numerous drawings copying the masterpieces of the masters encountered along the way. Painter/Drawings: Francesco Solimena (1657 /1747) Engraver: Pietro Antonio Martini (1738 /1797) Publisher: Jean-Claude Richard de Saint-Non (1727 /1791) Jean-Claude Richard de Saint-Non (Paris, 1727 – Paris, 1791), universally known as the Abbot of Saint-Non, was a central figure of French Enlightenment culture, famous as an engraver, patron, archaeologist and traveler. He was the archetype of the eighteenth‑century art amateur and bound his name indissolubly to the monumental project of the Voyage pittoresque. The Abbot of Saint-Non, a man of great culture, archaeologist and refined engraver, undertook his journey in Italy between 1759 and 1761, being spellbound by the beauties of the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily. Returned to France, he decided to personally finance an immense work that could describe those lands. To do so, he recruited an exceptional team of artists, among them painters Jean-Honoré Fragonard and Hubert Robert, and drew on the detailed diaries of Dominique Vivant Denon (future first director of the Louvre). The Voyage pittoresque ou Description des royaumes de Naples et de Sicile by Abbot Jean-Claude Richard de Saint-Non (published in Paris between 1781 and 1786) is considered one of the most monumental, famous and precious illustrated books of the entire 18th century. It represents the editorial apex of the Grand Tour phenomenon and the ultimate expression of Enlightenment curiosity toward the archaeological, artistic and natural heritage of Southern Italy.

Estimate:$168.03

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