Anibale Carracci (1 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Good. Anibale CARRACCI; Marcantonio BELLAVIA (illustrator). 1st Edition. No date. No place. [Rome] c. 1776. Folio. Engraved throughout. Collation runs: title page; portrait of Carracci, 38 numbered engravings, initials A.C. usually etched within the plate marks. FOLLOWED BY six further unnumbered engravings, making 44 in all (plus the engraved title page and portrait). The main series of 38 engravings is known as an attempt by Venanzio Monaldini to present anew engravings that had already been published by Vincenzo Belli in Rome, where they were signed Marcus Antonius Bellavia or MAB (ie. Marcantonio Bellavia) in a volume nevertheless devoted ostensibly devoted to Carracci. The six extra engravings have no markings or explanation but are rather good, and appear to be along the same lines, depicting classical scenes (the death of Medusa?; Triton), the Mother Mary, and a very good depiction of three faces (see photos). A later collector has added in pencil the Barstch numbers of many of the engravings, and suggests that the portrait with three faces show shows members of the Carracci family. Occasional light soiling, dusty to first pages notably, plate XXIII affected by a brown mark which appears if it might be artists paint and could perhaps be carefully removed, wide margins. Recent good quality calf on marbled boards, edges with original marbling. A very attractive, and indeed intriguing volume. Perhaps there were different issues: in ours, plate 35 is correctly numbered and is in usual ink, not red. With regard to the six extra plates, it would seem possible that Monaldini was experimenting with other plates for the series, but for whatever reason restricted it in the end to the 38. Perhaps too, he produced more plates than in his published series after the publication, and sold them in his shop and added them in here for completeness. Rather a rare item in itself, and we have been unable to trace another with the extra plates. It raises also fascinating questions of authenticity: alongside the desire to mislead, there is surely alongside this an aesthetic desire to celebrate the wonderful art that these engravings represent.