PIRANESI, Giovanni Battista ( 1720--1778)
Antichità Romane de' tempi della Repubblica, e de' primi imperatori, disegnate, ed incise da Giambattista Piranesi architetto Veneziano: e dallo stesso dedicate all'ill^-mo e rev^-mo Sig. Monsig. Giovanni Bottari Cappellano Segreto di N. S. Benedetto XIV. uno di Custodi della Biblioteca Vaticana, e Canonico di S:. Maria in Trastevere. ...
Roma:, si vende dall'auttore dirimpetto l'Academia di Franzia,, [1753 or 4].
2 pts ; 37.2 cm. x 51.5 cm. (obl. 1°)
Pt 1: [16] etch. pl. (incl. t.-pl., engr. dedic. pl., 2 pl. of inscriptions)
Pt 2: [14] etch. pl. (incl. t.-pl.)

Although it retains its original engraved dedication to Giovanni Bottari dated 1748 this is a later issue forming part of a collected edition of Piranesi's etchings first published by Giovanni Bouchard in 1751 under the catch-all title Le magnificenze di Roma. The Soane copy represents an issue dateable to 1753 or 4 (see Robison, Piranesi, p. 212).

The un-numbered etched title of the second part reads: 'Antichi[t]à Rom[a]ne Fvori Di Roma Disegnate Ed Incise Da Giambatta Piranesi Architetto Veneziano. Parte Seconda'. For details of the numbering of the plates in this edition and their subsequent re-ordering when the work was re-titled Alcune vedute di archi trionfali sometime after 1778, see Hind, p. 76.

Copy Notes Issued as part of and bound at the end of vol. [II] of a two-volume set of Le magnificenze di Roma, 1751 [i.e. 1753 or 4] (q.v.). Front free-endpaper inscribed in ink TB 408 B1757 and in pencil by a later hand Vol 6. Recto pages are numbered by hand top right in ink 199--257.

Binding C18th calf, gilt roll-tooled borders and edges, gilt-tooled spine, black morocco spine-label gilt-lettered 'Opera De Piranesi Vol II'

Reference Number 6206