Firenze, Niccolo Pagni, Giuseppe Bardi, 1796.
Folio [522 x 340 mm] of (1) title, 60 full-page numbered plates. Some minor foxing, small restoration in the blank lower margin of pl. 34. Bound in contemporary half-roan, flat spine decorated with blind-stamped and gilt fillets, untrimmed. Contemporary binding.
Extremely rare first edition of this wonderful suite dedicated to Tuscan costumes in the 18th century.
Lipperheide 1320; Rahir, La Bibliothèque de l’amateur, 323.
It is composed of 60 etchings engraved in colors and enhanced by hand by Carlo Lasinio representing the costumes of Tuscany : Florence, Arezzo, Grosseto, Livorno, Lucca, Massa Carrara, Pisa, Pistoia, Prato, Sienna…
Lasinio represented street sellers, farmers, families, couples … throughout everyday life scenes, with wonderful Tuscan landscapes as backgrounds.
The artist and engraver Carlo Lasinio (Treviso 1759 – Pisa 1838) is an engraver, painter and drawer who worked in Florence and in Pisa. He was Edouard Gautier d’Agoty’s pupil and it is in his workshop that he learnt the color engraving technique. Back in Italy, he worked in Florence and then became the curator of Pisas’ gallery. He reproduced by engraving them a large number of paintings.
However in the present collection, Lasinio does not use Gautier d’Agoty’s method, but adopts the even more recent technique called “à la poupée”.
Therefore the 60 etchings have been engraved in colors “à la poupée”, then finely completed with brush by the artist.
“These very beautiful plates are engraved by G. Canacci, Cavini, Cecchi, C. Lasinlo, Mugnon, G. Pera, Vascellini, Zancon after Antonio (57), Gaetano Bicci Ant. Fedi and Piatolli’s drawings. 1020 fr. Montgermont 1913 – 510 fr. (14 plates) de Jonghe 1930” (Colas 325).
This complete suite is extremely rare and of the utmost interest for the history of costume. The artist took care of representing each scene with great realism, sketching in a detailed way costumes and accessories for different professions and provinces, as well as Tuscan landscapes.
Very precious copy of one of the rarest costume books, very wide-margined since untrimmed and preserved in its contemporary binding. The set of 60 etchings has been finely enhanced by hand at the time in bright and shimmering shades.
According to our research among worldwide public Institutions, only the National Art Library Victoria & Albert Museum would own a copy of this work.
