Florence, 1744.
Folio [600 x 430 mm] with 1 engraved frontispiece, (1) l. of engraved dedication, and 24 plates on double-page. Full light brown marbled calf, spine ribbed and decorated, red edges. Contemporary Parisian binding.
First edition and first issue of the most beautiful engraved book about Florence, illustrated with a splendid allegorical title on double-page after Giuseppe Magni, with 24 engravings on double-page after Zocchi and one plate including a dedication signed by André Gerini without the date of 1744 which is often missing.
Berlin Katalog, 2700.
« This collection of 24 views is announced in the catalogues sometimes under the name of Gerini and under the date of 1744, sometimes under the one of Gius. Magni and the year 1754. It is due to the fact that, in some copies, besides the frontispiece engraved after the drawing of Jos. Magni and dated 1754, there is a plate containing a dedication signed by André Gerini and under the date of 1744. The twenty four views are from Jos. Zocchi, of whom we have another album entitled: Vedute delle ville, e d’altri luoghi della Toscana. Firenze, 1744, obl. folio. » Brunet
« Giuseppe Zocchi was employed for the decoration in the palaces of Florence and its surroundings especially in the palaces of Serristori, Rimuceini and Gerini. The Gerinis were his patrons. During his travels he drew the most remarkable places of the regions he was crossing and these drawings were, later on, engraved and gathered in interesting typographical series… » E. Bénezit.
The 24 engravings (680 x 500 mm) represent a general view of Florence, the Reale Palazzo of Pitti, the city seen from Porta Alla Croce, another view drawn della Porta S. Niccolo, the bridge St Trinita, Chiesa and Piazza d’Ognissanti, Palazzo Strozzi, Chiesa di S. Michele, Palazzi Corsi and Viviani, della Piazza della Nunziata, Piazza di S. Maria Nuova, Chiesa e Piazza di S. Pier Maggiore…
Nel 1744, nel pieno sviluppo del “vedutismo”, che aveva soprattutto a Roma ea Venezia i suoi più originali é significativi rappresentanti, anche Firenze, con l’opera di Giuseppe Zocchi riproposta in queste pagine, ebbe l’occasione di offrire al pubblico di amatori e viaggiatori del Grand Tour la propria immagine Questa venne fissata in una serie di moderne vedute che, nel rispetto della rigorosa tradizione artistica locale, mostrano un carattere lucidamente realistico e razionale tenendo, nell’ambito più vasto del loro genere, al gusto per l’esattezza della visione e la precisione topografica piuttosto che al “capriccio” o all’vocazione poetica dei luoghi raffigurati Giuseppe Zocchi, nato a Firenze nel 1717, aveva manifestato fin da ragazzo un notevole talento artistico, tanto che non aveva ancora venticinque anni quando il suo protettore, il marchese Gerini, gli commissionô le tavole su Firenze che noi oggi conosciamo.
Recorded in 1744, the views of Florence, beyond debt paid to the Roman and Venetian landscape painting, particularly Giuseppe Vasi and Michele Maneschi, contain an element of unquestionable originality in that realistic and descriptiveness which Zaman his boards lit up. Next to the urban planning and architectural reconstruction of his city, Zocchi tends to return the social atmosphere with an analytical section that depicts streets, squares and river, where next to carters, fishermen, merchants and peasants flow and noble ladies, carriages and prelates.
Precious copy printed on large Holland paper with very wide margins (585 x 410 mm), superb, preserved in its original light brown marbled calf binding.
From the library of Château de Couzan with armorial bookplate.
