Marco Pitteri’s engraving, “Profile Portrait of a Young Woman”, c.1760, after Giovanni Battista Piazzetta

Marco Pitteri (aka Marco Alvise Pitteri) (1702–1786)—famous for developing “an original method of engraving (not etching), using parallel lines, which are thickened at regular intervals along their length with more deeply engraved sections” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG42160).

“Profile Portrait of a Young Woman”, c.1760 (1740–1780), engraving after the design by Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (aka Giambattista Piazzetta) (1682–1754)—possibly after a portrait of Piazzetta’s wife, Rosa, and relates to the drawing, “Girl with a Vase”, c.1730 (1720–1740), in the Gallerie dell’Academia in Venice (see Maria Agnese Chiari Moretto Wiel (ed.) 1966, “L’eredità di Piazzetta: volti e figure nell’incisione del Settecento”, exh. cat. Palazzo Ducale, Venice, p. 75, no. 143).

Engraving on laid paper, trimmed slightly unevenly with a small margin around the platemark.

Size: (sheet) 45.5 x 35.5 cm; (plate) 45.4 x 34.4 cm; (image borderline) 44.2 x 34.3 cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “Piazzetta inue.”; (right) “Pitteri scul.”

Ravà 268 (Aldo Ravà 1922, “Marco Pitteri: Incisore Veneziano”, Florence, p. 68, cat. no. 268).

See also the descriptions of this print offered by the British Museum and the Rijksmuseum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1872-0113-11; http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.165228.

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression in an excellent condition for its large size and considerable age with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains (there are a few marks verso) or foxing.

I am selling this large and remarkable engraving—note that the tones rendering the portrait are created with parallel lines encrusted with knot-like undulations varying in width from exceptionally fine (when portraying the lightest features) to thick (when portraying deep shadows)—that (to my eyes) presents the illusion of light shimmering on the surface of the figure’s face, for AU$458 (currently US$306.13/EUR276.98/GBP243.82 at the time of this listing) including 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 museum-quality etching of fascinating and historical importance in the development of printmaking techniques, 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