Le Pitture Antiche Del Sepolcro De Nasonii Nella Via Flaminia Disegnate, ed intagliate alla similitudine degli Antichi Originali Da Pietro Santi Bartoli Descritte, & illustrate Da Gio: Pietro Bellori.
In Roma,: Per Gio: Battista Bussotti,, M.DC.LXXX. - Con Licenza De' Superiori.
Physical Description
p. [1]-16, 35-50, 65-76, 35 pl. (some fold.); 320 mm. (Quarto.)
Contents
[T.p.] - Imprimatur - [Frontis. = Pl.1] - [Dedic.] - Introduttione Alle Pitture Antiche - [Text] - [Pl.2-20] - [Text, on pl. 6-20] - [Pl. 21-35] - [Text, on pl. 21-35] - Indice Delle Pitture Antiche del Sepolcro de' Nasonij; Protesta Dell'Autore.
Responsibility Note
The plates carry no signatures.
The work is dedicated by Pietro Santi Bartoli to Cardinal D. Luigi Ferdinando Portocarrero, Archbishop of Toledo and Spanish Ambassador at Rome.
References
A more recent study of the Nasoni tomb is G. Messineo, La tomba dei Nasonii (2000).
Summary Note
Text and plates describe wall-paintings and vaults of the ancient tomb of the Nasonii on the Via Flaminia, which had been unearthed in 1674. The work was reprinted throughout the seventeenth, eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and served as a pattern book among such Neoclassical designers as Adam, Wyatt, Soane, Percier and Fontaine, Hope and Nash.
The plates show: 1. excavation and the façade of the tomb; 2. the plan of the tomb; 3, 4. overall views of two walls of paintings; 5-20. details of the paintings; 21. overall view of a painted ceiling; 22-35. details of the ceiling paintings. The paintings show Greek mythological subjects, hunts and the seasons. The book also carries decorated initials.
Bartoli's drawings of the murals are preserved in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle. They were used by G. Turnbull for some plates in A curious collection of ancient paintings (1741).
Provenance
The front pastedown is inscribed in pencil, 'S.A.H', i.e. S.A. Hart, librarian of the Royal Academy 1864-81. The rear pastedown is inscribed in ink, 'Xber.g 1723 [illegible]'.
Binding Note
17th-century white vellum; 19th-century (?) brown morocco spine-label lettered 'Bellori - Pitture Antiche Del Sepolcro De Nasonii - Roma 1680', spine lettered 'R.A.'
Mural painting and decoration, Roman - Painting, Roman - Frescoes - Pavements - Interior decoration - Antiquities, Roman - Tombs - Italy - Lazio - Rome - History
Mythology, Greek - Iconography
Art history - Italy - 17th century
Pictorial works - Italy - 17th century