Descrizione

BIBIENA, GIUSEPPE GALLI da (1696-1757) – Architetture, e Prospettive, dedicate alla Maestá di Carlo Sesto Imperador de’ Romani. Augsburg: Andreas Pfeffel, 1740.

Atlantic folio (570 x 375 mm.), recent binding in green half morocco with large corners and marbled paper on boards, in the style of a binding of the time, gilt spine with raised bands, golden edges, endleaves in marbled green paper, a bright, clean copy, impressed on laid paper. Provenance: Ownership manuscript entry and notes of Luigi Rossini, architect and follower of Piranesi (see the previous item here). Beautiful allegorical frontispiece, facing the engraved title, with text and vignette within ornamental border, engraved portrait of the dedicatee (King Charles VI), engraved dedication, letterpress dedicatory by the author (to the ‘lovers of architecture’ and finally 50 stunning engraved plates, in the purest baroque style, mostly engraved by J. A. Pfeffel, Lorenzo Zucchi, Andreas and Joseph Schmuzer and Salomon Kleiner, after Giuseppe Galli da Bibiena’s drawings.

First edition of this masterpiece among the illustrated baroque books. The plates represent catafalques, settings for religious scenes and shows, imaginary architecture as well as the decoration created for the Vienna horse riding school on the occasion of the marriage of Archduchess Mariana to Charles of Lorraine. Coming from a dynasty of architects, champions of the Baroque and who distinguished themselves in Germany and Italy, Giuseppe Bibiena (1696-1757) owes his fame to his decorations created for important ceremonies, his theatre machinery and scenographies. Fowler, 136 (“The plates show brilliant baroque compositions of catafalques, theatrical sets, a Passion series in architectural settings and decorations for the Riding School at Vienna for the marriage of Archduchess Mariana to Prince Charles of Lorraine”); Berlin Katalog, 4152; Millard, Northern European Books, 37; Cicognara 431