[Veduta della Dogana di Terra a Piazza di Pietra [Rome]] [engraving]

[Veduta della Dogana di Terra a Piazza di Pietra [Rome]] [engraving]

Roma Regia Calcografia c.1870-1945

1 print ; 40 x 61 cm. on sheet 55 x 76 cm.

P&E L2009D10ff

This is one of Piranesi's large-scale etchings of buildings in Rome and was part of his Vedute di Roma (Views of Rome) series produced as single prints between 1748-1778. A Paris edition of the entire work was published from 1800-1807. In that edition, the prints had letters. Below this etching was the title, the artist's name, and the address of the artist as publisher [Presso l'Autore a Strada Felice nel palizo Tomatti vicino alla Trinita de Monti]. The history of the plates of Paranesi's work following his death in 1778, indicate that his children continued to publish his works in Rome until 1798. In 1800, one of the sons moved to Paris and sold the plates to Firmin-Didot Freres, a Paris firm, who issued the prints until 1839. At that time, agents for the Vatican purchased the plates for Camera Apostolica and these strikes in the 19th century were were referred to as the "Pope's editions." The the plates were transferred to Calcografia Camerale, the Roman printing press which was renamed Regia Calcografia in 1870 and they published editions of the Vedute prints until 1945 when the name changed to Calcografia National. Prints published by Regia Calcografia have an embossed blind stamp with "Regia Calcografia" and a central emblem of a crown surmounted by a cross at the lower right of the print. This copy of the etching is without all letters and therefore did not come from the Paris edition in the 17th century. However, it does have the blind stamp just below the plate in the lower right indicating that it was published by Regia Calcografia between 1870 and 1945. The Society purchased this print in 1990 under the false title "French army batallion in Paris." Since this print is without letters, it is difficult to know how the assignment of the incorrect title occured. See the case file.

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