Piranesi, Giovanni Battista and Francesco.

2 volumes, folio, (527 x 388mm.), 134 (of 137) views, together with the Catalogo delle opere datea finora alle luce da Gio. Battista Piranesi bound at the end of volume 1 (c.1761, listing plates of the Vedute up to no.60; Hind p.6 no.3), many plates in volume 2 folding, plates 1-60 mostly in Hind state B(2) with the address of 'Bouchard' or 'Bouchard e Gravier' on thick laid paper, and watermarked with a fleur-de-lys within a double circle (Hind no.3), plates 61-137 appear to be a mixed set of contemporary or posthumous Roman impressions with plates on very thick laid paper or laid paper in Hind state C, some with watermarks (where visible) Hind 5 and 6 (although a few plates appear to have a fleur-de-lys within a single circle), twentieth-century red half morocco, modern endpapers, lacking 3 plates (Hind nos. 2, 13 and 136), old repaired tears into engraved area on plates 19-22, 27, 71 and 90, minor printer's creases to plates 99, 101, 103, 122, 137, a few minor marginal tears, some light spotting

Sir Henry Goodricke, Bart. (1765-1802), armorial bookplate in each volume (recovered from original bindings). He was born in Groningen in Holland, was M.P. for Lymington (Dec. 1778 to 1780) and became the sixth Baronet on 3rd August 1789.

Hind, A.M., Giovannia Battista Piranesi: a critical study (London, 1922); cf. Focillon 719-853

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

a near complete set of these much-admired prints of rome and its vicinity, which contributed considerably both to contemporary interest in classical archaeology and to the growth of the neoclassical movement in art and architecture.

Born in Venice in 1720, G.B. Piranesi went to Rome in 1740 as a draftsman for the Venetian ambassador. He studied with leading printmakers of the day and settled permanently in Rome in 1745. It was during this period that he developed his highly original etching technique, producing rich textures and bold contrasts of light and shadow by means of intricate, repeated bitings of the copperplate. His unparalled accuracy of depiction, his personal expression of the dramatic and romantic grandeur of ancient Rome, and his technical mastery make his works some of the most original and impressive representations of architecture to be found in Western art. After Giovanni Battista's death in 1778, his son Francesco, who had trained and worked with his father, took the plates to Paris, where he republished them.

The plates in this copy, with a few exceptions, are bound in the chronological order of Piranesi's engraved catalogue.