Dresde,: à l'Imprimerie de la Cour chez la Veuve Stössel., [1735?]
Physical Description
[8] p., frontis., 230 [i.e. 228] pl.: illus.; 529 mm.
General Note
The plate-numbers 116, 117 are assigned to one plate, as are the plate-numbers 148, 149. In the list of 'Statues, Groupes ... contenus' items 209-230 are printed on a slip pasted onto the page.
Contents
[T.p., frontis., dedic.] - Statues, Groupes, Vases, Bustes, Marbres et autres pieçes contenus en ce Recueil. 1(-230) - [Plates 1-198] - [Divisional t.p., 'Suite De Divers Marbres Modernes &c.'] - [Plates 199-230].
Responsibility Note
The frontispiece is signed as drawn by A. Wernerin and engraved by Bernigeroth. Almost all the plates are signed by draughtsmen and engravers. The draughtsmen were A.M. Wernerin, Joh. Justin Preissler, M. Tuscher or H. Preissler. The engravers were Lorenzo Zucchi, C.F. Boetius, Georg Mart. Preissler, Johann Balthasar Probst, Bernigeroth, Johann David Hertz, Iac. Gottlieb Thelot, Iac. Andr. Fridrich, Christian Philipp Lindemann, Hieronymus Sperling, 'MB', Joh. Jac. Steltzer or Chr. Raym. Thoman.
Two in-text illustrations (headpiece and vignette on the divisional title-page) are signed as drawn by A.M. Wernerin and engraved by Christian Lindemann.
The work is dedicated to the King by B. Leplat.
References
K. Czoc, August der Starke und Kursachsen (1987).
Summary Note
The title page gives the date of the granting of the royal privilege as 1733. Some plates carry earlier dates, of 1729 (pl.5), 1730 (pl.14, 25, 63, 64), 1731 (pl.143), 1732 (pl.121), 1733 (pl. 185). But some carry later dates, of 1734 (pl. 44, 204, 207-219) or 1735 (pl. 220-230).
The collection of ancient and modern art at Dresden had been established by Friedrich August I ('Augustus the Strong'), who died in the same year as this book was published. He had bought antiquities from Frederick William I of Prussia (including the Bellori collection of Roman portraits) and from the Chigi and Albani families of Rome (including sculpture, vases, bronzes and mummies). Several Roman antiquities had arrived in Dresden as recently as 1729. Friedrich August had the antiquities displayed alongside contemporary sculpture; and this policy was continued when they were moved to the new Albertinum Museum in 1889.
Although the title speaks of marbles only, the plates also show bronzes, a few fragments of wall-paintings and other items - most of them Greek, but several Roman and a few Egyptian or Etruscan. The plates have no accompanying explanatory texts, but most are captioned and all are described briefly in the list of 'Statues, Groupes [&c.]'. Subjects are chiefly mythological (the collection includes copies of some famous works, such as Praxiteles's 'Satyr' and Scopas's 'Maenad tearing a goat'); but there are several portrait busts.
The modern sculptures (plates 199-230) are captioned as by A. Co(n)radini (11 plates), F. Baratto (or Barata) (5 pl.), P. Barata (4 pl.), P. Balestra (3 pl.), F. Coudray (3 pl.), A. Algardi (2 pl.), Catasi, G.L. Bernini, F. Hurtrel, 'N' and an unnamed sculptor (pl. no.200).
Binding Note
18th-century mottled calf; rebacked in 20th century, spine decorated in 18th-century manner, red morocco spine-label lettered 'Marbres Antiques Du R. De. P'.