Carracci, Annibale (1560-1609).

Raffaello Sanzio d'Urbino (1483-1520). Psyches et Amoris nuptiæ ac fabula... a Nicolao Dorigny... delineata et incisa, et a Ioanne Petro Bellorio notis illustrata. [Rome:] sons & heirs of Domenico and Giovanni Giacomo de Rossi, 15 August 1693, engraved througout, illustration: title-page and 11 plates, numbered 1-12



2 works in one volume, oblong folio (485 x 718mm.), binding: eighteenth-century speckled calf, short tear at foot of first 3 leaves, just touching image of first dedication leaf, binding rubbed, joints split

Berlin Catalogue 4088 & 4066

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."

Annibale Carracci was called to Rome in 1595 by Cardinal Farnese to decorate the Galleria Farnese. He began with a small room, the Camerino, painting the stories of Hercules, and in 1597 undertook the ceiling of the larger gallery with theme of the loves of the Gods or, as Bellori described it, 'human love governed by celestial love'. The ceiling was inspired by Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel and Raphael's frescoes in the Vatican Loggia.

The second work in this volume depicts Raphael's Cupid and Psyche frescoes, painted between 1516 and 1518 at the Villa Farnesina in Rome. The plates were engraved by the Frenchman Nicolas Dorigny (1658-1746), who worked in Rome between 1690 and 1719. They include at the end one of the ceiling frescoes in the Sala di Galatea.