PIRANESI, Giovanni Battista (1720-1778) - Diverse maniere d'adornare i cammini. Rome: Generoso Salomoni, 1769.   First edition of one of Giovanni Battista Piranesi's masterpieces complete with the splendid plates depicting fireplaces in Etruscan and Egyptian style. The author, in the long introductory text "An Apologetical Essay in defence of the Egyptian and Tuscan Architecture", cites the debate which inflamed the scholars and archaeologists of the time, who wondered about the appearance of ancient fireplaces. Piranesi went beyond this purely erudite debate, stating: "Quello che io pretendo co' presenti disegni si è di mostrare qual uso far possa un avveduto architetto degli antichi monumenti alla presente nostra maniera, e a nostri costumi acconciamente adattandoli". From his extraordinary imagination, as well as from his profound archaeological knowledge, the fireplaces came to light, richly decorated and embellished with elements taken from classical and Egyptian antiquity: "Piranesi drew attention to the creative ecleticism of the ancient Romans who had first utilized Etruscan ideas and then had proceeded to absorb Greek and Egyptian material into their living system of design" (J. Wilton-Ely, 1978, pp.98-99). In addition to the syncretism of historical elements, the presence of natural subjects is also notable, the "violent penetration of nature in the hallucinated dreams of an archaeologist" (A. Gonzalez-Palacios in "Piranesi", 1978, pp. 56-61 ). The preparation of the work must have lasted several years and already in 1767 Piranesi had sent some loose plates to Sir. William Hamilton, who responded by saying he was happy with the work Piranesi was working on, considering it very useful for England, where fireplaces were widely used. On the reasons for the choice of such a peculiar subject, it is interesting what Piranesi himself expressed in the dedicatory letter: "Fra la moltitudine de' soggetti a cui potevo determinarmi questo ho prescielto per esser egli e più d'ogn'altro suscettibile di varietà per la sua stesa, ed ampiezza; e più d'ogni altro adatto a portare l'architettura a quel punto di perfezione a cui da tanto tempo, e con tanti sforzi ci studiamo di codurla".   Folio (557 x 403mm). A double-page engraved title with dedication to Giovanni Battista Rezzonico, engraved headpiece and tailpiece, 71 engraved plates of which 3 in the text section and one printed on the recto of the "Avviso al publico" repeated a further time at the end, text in Italian, French and English (title on guards, light browning sometimes heavier, occasional soiling and foxing, tiny tear at the lower corner of plate 59, plate 32 on slightly shorter uncut paper). Contemporary green half morocco over marbled paper, gilt decorations and title on spine, marbled edges and endpapers (rebacked preserving part of the original spine, rubbed).

Estimate € 5,000 - 8,000

Sold € 7,500