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Saturday, 21 November 2020

Giovanni Battista Piranesi’s etching “View of the bridge known as Ponte Molle”, 1762

Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720–1788)

“View of the bridge known as Ponte Molle(aka “XXXIX. Scenographia Pontis hodie Mollis ...”), 1762, lifetime impression from the the early Roman edition, plate XXXIX (39) from the series, “Il Campo Marzio dell' Antica Roma, Opera di G.B. Piranesi socio della reale società degli antiquari di Londra” (The Campus Martius of Ancient Rome, the Work of G.B. Piranesi, Fellow of the Royal Society of Antiquaries, London).”  

Etching on coeval laid paper (3 cm chainlines, but without showing the watermark, “double circle and lily with letters CB”) with full margins as published.

Size: (sheet) 37.3 x 54.8 cm; (plate) 23.8 x 35.7; (image borderline) 22.2 x 35.1 cm.

Numbered on plate within the image borderline: (upper right corner) “ Tab. XXXIX.”

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (left) “Vide indicem ruinar. num. 3.”; (centre) “Scenographia Pontis hodie Mollis, ostendens quod remanserat antiqui operis cum a Nicolao V. Pont. Max. restitutus fuit. A. Tiberis fluvius.”; (right) “Piranesi F.”

Wilton Ely II.655.600 (John Wilton-Ely 1994, “Giovanni Battista Piranesi, The Complete Etchings”, vol. 2, San Francisco, Alan Wofsy, p. 655, cat. no. 600); Taschen/Ficacci 522 (Luigi Ficacci 2011, “ Piranesi: The Complete Etchings”, vol. 2, Cologne, Taschen, p. 417, cat. no. 522); Focillon 469; Giesecke 28, 118; Hind 85.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art offers a description of this print:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/90080757?rpp=20&pg=1&ft=View+of+the+bridge+known+as+Ponte+Molle++Tab+XXXIX&pos=1.

Condition: a richly inked and well-printed lifetime impression. Beyond a pin hole in the upper-right corner of the margin and remnants of mounting verso, the sheet is in almost pristine condition with no tears, folds, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this exceptionally beautiful and rare etching by one of the most important printmakers of the 18th century, for AU$714 (currently US$521.70/EUR440/GBP392.58 at the time of this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries.

If you are interested in purchasing this masterwork of etching—note how the well-lit areas of the bridge are rendered with short fine lines spaced far apart while the deep shadows are rendered with long thick lines close together—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold











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