Gaetano Zompini

(Italian, 1700 - 1778)

The Arts that go on the street in the city of Venice - Gaetano Zompini, (Treviso 1700 - Venice 1778). Work published in 1785 when Zompini was already dead.

Single volume 360 x 260 mm. N ° 60 copper engravings, 270 x 180 mm + three incisions made :

-Pictured door:

-Title engraved within ornate border;

-Incision index.

Elegant half-leather binding with gold-embossed spine bearing the title of the work in English "Cries of Venice" engraved in gold.

Each engraving bears at the bottom a caption in Venetian and below an original label in English. Specimen in fair conservation, signs of use and a small part of the back at the bottom of the neckline.

The first edition comes out between 1773 and 1774. In 1735 John Strange , English collector, resident in Venice, bought the engraving branches after the death of Zompini. A first edition of Venice in 1785 with the caption in Venetian verse written by the priest Questini was followed by a London one bearing a free English translation of the captions in verse, pasted at the foot of each engraving (CFR Stefania Maronato, Gaetano Zompini, Venice 1988 , page 294 - The Professions of Fashion in Venice from the 13th to the 18th).

Zompini was inspired by the collection of drawings by Annibale Carracci for his etchings entitled The Arts of Bologna, in which street vendors and artisans are depicted. Zompini, in his etchings, was also influenced by the Venetian painting of Pietro Longhi and by the comedies of Carlo Goldoni. With these engravings he manages to capture the liveliness of the Venetian alleys.