Piranesi, Giovanni Battista and Francesco.

Large folio (810 x 537mm.), etched title and 20 plates, on thick paper (no visible watermarks), all signed Cav. Piranesi F., except title and plates 19 and 20 signed Francesco Piranesi, nineteenth-century half calf over marbled boards, slight printer's crease to lower left corner of plate 18, spine somewhat worn, corners rubbed

Focillon 583-599; Hind p.87; BAL RIBA cat. 2555

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

magnificent views of the ancient temples at paestum, givoanni battista piranesi's last and one of his greatest works.

In 1776 Piranesi had travelled to the great Doric temples of Paestum, south of Naples, and in 1777 or 1778 he returned accompanied by his son Francesco, his assistant Benedetto Mori and others, spending several weeks sketching and measuring the remains. It remains a matter of scholarly discussion as to the amount of Francesco Piranesi's involvement in the plates, however, "commentators agree that all the plates show signs of Giovanni Battista's work, and were probably brought near to completion by the artist before his death [on 9 November 1778]." (BAL RIBA cat., p.1483). Fifteen of the original drawings are now in the Sir John Soane Museum, two further drawings are in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

There are no watermarks on the plates in this copy, which would determine Rome or Paris, however the plates are certainly before the Paris 1836 re-issue, because they have not been re-numbered.