- 19
Fontana, Carlo
Description
- paper and ink
Folio (17 1/2 x 12 in.; 435 x 310 mm). Title-page in Latin, one engraved map and 78 engraved plates (10 folding) by Alessandro Specchi after Fontana, text in parallel Latin and Italian; lacking Italian title-page, large portion of right margin of title-page and p. 489 (6 x 2 1/2 in.) clipped away, index quire and pp. 413–416 loose, some browning to text and about 14 plates, some ink offsetting from plates to text. Nineteenth-century purple morocco; worn, rebacked with buckram, spine hand-lettered.
Literature
Condition
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
First edition. Carlo Fontana was a pupil of Bernini. In his description of St. Peter's, commissioned by Pope Innocent XI, he defended the work of his master against criticisms about the cracks that had appeared in the dome. He also describes several of his own projects for exterior additions to the basilica. The plates in part III are copied from Domenico Fontana's 1590 work, Della trasportatione dell'obelisco vaticano.
The work is divided into seven books: book I deals with the antique site of St. Peter's; book II the basilica constructed by Emperor Constantine in about 320; book III the transportation in 1585 of the obelisk to its present site in the square in front of St. Peter's; book IV the square and Bernini's oval colonnade; book V a detailed survey of St. Peter's; book VI the cost of St. Peter's as compared to that of the Temple of Solomon; book VII a comparison of St. Peter's, the Pantheon and the Duomo in Florence.