Piranesi (Giovanni Battista) Della Magnificenza ed Architettura de' Romani, two engraved titles in Latin and Italian, engraved portrait of Pope Clement XIII by D. Cunego after Piranesi, three initials, two engraved tail-pieces, and 39 engraved plates, some folding, all on laid paper and many with watermarks of an encircled fleur-de-lis [Hind's watermark 1, "noted in early states"], marginal damp-stain to upper outside corners, a few with small loss, kk2 with thinning and marginal split, otherwise occasional spotting and marginal finger-soiling, 1761 [bound with] Osservazioni di Gio. Battista Piranesi sopra la lettre de M. Mariette; Parere su l'Architettura and Della Introduzione e del Progresso delle Belle Arte in Europa ne' Tempi antichi, complete with 3 engraved head-pieces, 2 tail-pieces, and 10 engraved plates, excellent impressions on thick laid paper, marginal split to printers' crease on E, some spotting and surface dirt, bound together in contemporary tree-calf, gilt spine with red morocco label, re-backed, joints split, extremities worn, folio, 1765

Provenance:

Armorial bookplate of Arthur Hugh Smith-Barry, 1st Baron Barrymore (1843-1925) at Marbury Hall;

Anonymous bookplate, initialled 'GL' and numbered/dated '1921';

Private collection, Rome [sold with accompanying export license]

Literature:

Hind pp. 84-86

⁂ A good copy of Piranesi's lavish and erudite contribution to the Graeco-Roman debate of the period, where he illustrates the decorative inventions of the Romans, and outlines his theories regarding the originality of Italy over Greece.