Creator
Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Title
Catalogo delle opere date finora alla luce da Gio-Battista Piranesi.
Coverage
[Rome]
Publisher
[G.-B. Piranesi]
Date
[1772?]
Description
This engraved single-sheet catalogue uses playful illusionism to advertise the works of Italian artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi. Famous for his monumental etchings of Roman ruins (Vedute) and imaginary prisons (Carceri d'invenzione), Piranesi catered to wealthy tourists visiting Rome as part of the Grand Tour. The virtuosic depiction of loose sheets of paper pinned to a brick wall advertised the artist’s consummate skill as well as the items available for purchase. The catalogo was issued in over a dozen states between ca. 1760 and ca. 1780.
Source
Purchased in 2005 at the Breslauer sale with Grolier Club Library Harper Funds, generously supported by Grolier Club member donations.