Luigi Rossini | Antichita Romane. Rome, 1819-1823, Roman antiquities illustrated

Luigi Rossini

[Antichita Romane]. [Rome: Luigi Rossini, 1819-1823]

FIRST EDITION, folio (530 x 743mm.), 101 ENGRAVED PLATES OF ROMAN ANTIQUITIES, near contemporary brown half morocco over light brown pebbled cloth boards by Alexander Crawford, some leaves with marginal holes, occasional foxing, minor marginal dampstaining, binding rebacked to style preserving the original backstrip, slight wear to extremities

This is a tour-de-force by an artist Millard calls “the most important graphic illustrator of Rome in the nineteenth century.” It depicts on a grand scale Rome’s most beautiful scenic views and ancient architectural gems—some of which had only recently been excavated (or damaged). Subjects include the Arch of Septimius Severus, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Golden House of Nero, the Appian Way, various temples, bridges, city walls, and other monuments, as well as the recently collapsed San Paolo fuori le mura, which in 1823 had been almost entirely destroyed in a fire (and is depicted in ruins in the present work).

Although the artist’s name is practically synonymous with the Eternal City, Luigi Rossini (1790-1857) was born in Ravenna, and studied in Bologna with Antonio Basoli and Giovanni Antolini. In 1813 he won a government fellowship in Rome and began studying architecture, though with limited success. He eventually discovered his niche in printmaking, specifically topographical engraving, or “vedute,” geared toward the booming tourist market. Following in the footsteps of the great Piranesi, Rossini deployed careful observation, archaeological knowledge, and an extraordinary work ethic to produce an outstanding range of engravings. Many of the viewpoints chosen for the present work were the same ones used by Piranesi in his own celebrated views of Rome; however, according to Millard, Rossini’s publication also “marks a direct confrontation with Piranesi. In this work Rossini emancipates himself entirely while precisely quoting his predecessor in his title as well as in some of his captions. His reinterpretation of the weighty inheritance has been referred to as a ‘transcription in prose of Piranesi’s fantastic and poetic language’”.

This copy is without a letterpress title page which is said to have been issued but which seems not to be found—or even mentioned—in most auction and dealer descriptions.

REFERENCES: A.M. Hind, A History of Engraving & Etching, p.232; Millard,

Italian 115; RIBA 2848; Berlin Katalog 1916

PROVENANCE: Henry B. Humphrey (prominent Bostonian book collector), bookplate