Castellamonte (Amedeo di)
La Venaria Reale,
Palazzo di piacere e di caccia ideato dall'Altezza Reale di Carlo Emanuele II, Duca di Savoia.
Description:
FIRST EDITION, engraved half-title with stag's hide suspended between trees, dedication leaf (verses addressed to Maria Giovanna Batista, Duchess of Savoy), engraved portrait and engraved calligraphic title page, 65 further engraved plates, several folding, very light foxing to the edge of the text block, but pages and plates all crisp and clean, 3 of the folding plates with very neat tissue repairs,
pp. [10], 99, [1], 4to,
19th-century half black morocco, with paste-paper boards, spine with gilt motifs between raised bands and gilt-lettered label, raised bands slightly rubbed, very good
Publication Details:
Turin: Bartolomeo Zapatta, 1674
Notes: A splendid copy of this beautiful and richly illustrated monograph (Cicognara: 'Libro assai bello') about La Venaria Reale, the palace just outside Turin which began as a hunting lodge and grew into a sprawling estate under the tenure of the Dukes of Savoy. The text takes the form of an imaginary dialogue between the work's author, architect and first ducal engineer, Amedeo di Castellamonte (1618- 1683) and Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680). It describes the estate's development: La Venaria was first built in 1658 as a lodge, designed by Castellamonte for Charles Emmanuel II who needed a base f...moreA splendid copy of this beautiful and richly illustrated monograph (Cicognara: 'Libro assai bello') about La Venaria Reale, the palace just outside Turin which began as a hunting lodge and grew into a sprawling estate under the tenure of the Dukes of Savoy. The text takes the form of an imaginary dialogue between the work's author, architect and first ducal engineer, Amedeo di Castellamonte (1618- 1683) and Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680). It describes the estate's development: La Venaria was first built in 1658 as a lodge, designed by Castellamonte for Charles Emmanuel II who needed a base for his hunting expeditions in the hills north of Turin. Over time, it evolved into a masterpiece of Baroque architecture, becoming a luxurious residence for successive generations of the House of Savoy. The book's marvellous illustrations – many of which take the form of large folding plates - reproduce the estate in microcosm. Engravings - including works by Tasnière - depict Castellamonte's architecture, the palace gardens, interiors and original artworks. At the heart of the complex - as at the heart of the book - is the Sala di Diana, an ornate atrium decorated with stucco and paintings on the theme of hunting. Its huge frescoed vault was painted by the celebrated Flemish artist Jan Miel (1599-1663). Miel was originally one of the 'Bamboccianti', the circle of Dutch and Flemish genre painters in Rome. He became de facto estate artist of the Venaria, producing many works for the interior of the palace which are reproduced here. These include his fresco for the vaulted Sala di Diana, which represents Olympus with Jupiter offering a gift to Diana, as well as several of his hunting themed canvases, including L'Andar al bosco, L'Assemblea, Il Lasciar correre, and La Curea. Other illustrations here are from originals by Baroncelli and Sacchetti, and include ducal equestrian portraits, Acteon mid-metamorphosis, and various magnificent hunting scenes. Many of the paintings and interiors reproduced here may still be seen in situ. The estate fell into disuse at the end of the eighteenth century, and was used as a barracks during the Napoleonic Wars, but in the twentieth century was the subject of the largest restoration project in European history; La Venaria Reale reopened to the public in 2007. As Schwedt states, 'copies of this book, with plates complete, are difficult to find'. The plates in the present copy are bound in a unique order, as is common. For example, the portrait of Diana after Saccheti is bound with the preliminary plates. From the library of Richard Luckett, Pepys Librarian, Magdalene, Cambridge, with his neat typographical book label designed by Will Carter of the Rampant Lions Press. Relatively common in US institutions, but only Courtauld, V & A, Oxford, BL and National Trust according to WorldCat. HIDE
Bibliography: (Schwerdt I,98 a; Cicognara 3982)
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Price: £6,750
Subject: Art & Architecture
Published Date: 1674
Stock Number: 73101
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