Visentini, Urbis Venetiarum prospectus, Venice, 1754, contemporary boards

Antonio Visentini

Urbis Venetiarum prospectus celebriores, ex Antonii Canal tabulis XXXVIII aere expressi... pars prima (-tertia). Venice: Giovanni Battista Pasquali, 1754 (vol.2: 1751)

oblong folio (371 x 510mm.), three letterpress titles printed in red and black with engraved vignette, letterpress list of plates, engraved prospectus dated 1742, double engraved portrait of Canaletto and Visentini, 14+12+12 engraved plates (with a duplicate of plate 2 from the third book loosely inserted), contemporary boards, plate 2 from book 3 torn across image and repaired

Third complete edition of Visentini's faithful engravings of Canaletto's views of Venice, published at the behest of Joseph Smith to promote Canaletto's works. The first part was originally issued in 1735 with the title Prospectus Magni Canalis Venetiarum; the first complete edition of all three parts appeared in 1742, and reprinted in 1751 and 1754. It is known that Smith compiled sets of plates from the different editions, and the watermarks in this copy relate to all three editions. 

Famiglia Morosini del Pestrino (Venice), library bookplate on inside front cover; Giocondo Cassini of Venice, bookseller's label dated 7 June 1986