1740 Albrizzi View of Paris

Paris-albrizzi-1740
$350.00
La Città di Parigi Capitale del Regno di Francia. - Main View
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1740 Albrizzi View of Paris

Paris-albrizzi-1740

Paris' Skyline, Imagined in Venice.
$350.00

Title


La Città di Parigi Capitale del Regno di Francia.
  1740 (undated)     6.5 x 12.75 in (16.51 x 32.385 cm)

Description


This is an attractive 1740 view of Paris engraved in Venice for Giambatista Albrizzi, inspired by Merian's view of the previous century.
A Closer Look
The walled city is shown with its distinctive palaces and churches, notably Notre Dame. The countryside features chalets, windmills, and farmers working their fields. In truth, Albrizzi's depiction of Paris presents a more compelling 'idea' of Paris than an accurate representation.
Publication History and Census
This view was engraved for Giambatista Albrizzi's 1740 Italian edition of Thomas Salmon's Modern History, Lo stato presente di tutti i paesi, e popoli del mondo naturale, politico, e morale. The view appears on the market from time to time, and Albrizzi's Salmon is well represented in institutional collections, despite the present view's absence in OCLC.

Cartographer


Giambattista Albrizzi (1698 - 1777), a.k.a. Giovanni Battista Albrizzi, was an Italian publisher and journalist active in Venice during the mid-18th century. Albrizzi was the scion of a well-established Venetian publishing dynasty and followed in the footsteps of his father, Girolamo Albrizzi, who founded the family printing business and is known for publishing the work the great Venetian cartography Vincenzo Coronelli. Giambattista Albrizzi is generally considered to be the most prominent 18th century Venetian publisher. Today he is best known for his friendship and collaboration with Giovanni Battista Piazzeta (1683 - 1754), a well know Venetian artist and engraver, whose drawings and engravings appear in many of Albrizzi's publications, including his maps. Giambattista Albrizzi's cartographic work, while not particularly innovative in terms of content, often featured elaborate decorative elements designed by Piazzeta. Through the integration of such decorative elements, Albrizzi hopped to revive the reputation of Venetian publishing, which since the late 17th century, had fallen in regard since the days of Girolamo. His work helped lay the foundations for Italian school decorative cartography in the late 18th and early 19th century, including the work of Antonio Zatta, among others. In addition to Albrizzi's work as a map and book publisher, he also issued a weekly journal, Novelle della Repubblica delle Lettere, a kind of early newspaper that played an important role in Venetian business and intellectual life. More by this mapmaker...

Condition


Very good. Marginal mend at lower right. Right margin close but complete; else excellent.