FOSSATI, Giorgio (1705-1785) - Memorie della vita del glorioso patriarca San Giuseppe sposo di Maria Vergine. Venice: Carlo Pecora, 1750.   An exceptional copy in red morocco and with wide margins of this extraordinary example of 18th century coloured print. The plates contained in this copy of the famous illustrated eighteenth-century Venetian book are engraved in sepia, red, brown, green and black. In 1744, the printer Pecora also printed the famous "Favole" with the plates printed in colour while Fossati, an architect by profession, is remembered for having experimented with different coloured inks.   Folio (371 x 247mm). Frontispiece engraved in red within an elaborate black border, title printed in red and black with a red engraved vignette, large vignette and initial engraved in red, a woodcut initial and 19 plates engraved in sepia, red, brown, green and black with fine backgrounds (some soiling and occasional tears as in b2 and A2 where they had been repaired, slight waterstaining to upper margin, traces of pen to final leaf). Splendid red morocco richly decorated in gilt with a double border surrounding a coat of arms in the center of the covers, spine and edges gilt (some rubbing, heavier to extremities and spine)   Among the copies that have been on the market in recent years there is a variable number of plates, some have 20, while the Saks copy sold at Christie's (June 10, 1981) had 3 engraved headpieces (as described by Morazzoni) and 19 plates.

Estimate € 1,800 - 2,500

Sold € 4,000