Beatae Mariae Virginis officium. Venetiis: Apud Jo. Baptistam Pasquali, 1740.: “LIBRO D’ORE DEL PIAZZETTA” IN ITS ORIGINAL VENETIAN BINDING

the renowned "libro d'ore del Piazzetta", wonderful copy in its original venetian binding

First Edition of the most desirable Venetian illustrated books of the 18th century.

Beatae Mariae Virginis officium. Venetiis: Apud Jo. Baptistam Pasquali, 1740.

16vo (140 x 100 mm), contemporary full black fine-grained Morocco leather Venetian binding with gilt edges and gilded silver clasps, gilt silver border at boards in a contemporary full leather case, inside board covered in red silk, pp. [40], 427, [5], printed on precious thin paper, Sign.: π4A-2F8. Engraved frontispiece and vignette on title page.

15 full-page engravings along the text and 20 end-pieces

engraved by Marco Alvise Pitteri on drawings by Giovanni Piazzetta

text engraved by sister Angela Baroni

This Officium was printed in 1740 under request of the wealthy shopkeeper Caime as a sign of devotion to the Celestial Queen. The collection of the engraving's matrices of the Officium Beatae Mariae Virgins must then passed into the possession of Giuseppe Remondini, that reprinted it many times, in different formats.

One of the most famous and appreciated XVIII century Venetian work, the so-called Piazzetta's Book of Hours, is the best example of how the iconographic "apparatus" perfectly blends with the typographic composition of the text, entirely engraved in copper on very fine paper. It represents, with the Gerusalemme Liberata, 1780, the highest achievement among Venetian production (and not only) of illustrated works in the eighteenth century.

Giovanni Battista Piazzetta: (1683 - 1754) ) Among the greatest exponents of the pathetic-chiaroscuro current, centred on the strong contrasts of light and shadow and on the intense drama of the figures, it profoundly influenced the Venetian culture of the eighteenth century and was among the inspirers of the Tiepolo. He played an important role as book designer and illustrator, that led him to be recognized as the greatest 18th-century sketcher.

Despite the academic activity and public recognition, he died in poverty and loneliness.

Marco Alvise Pitteri (1702 – 1786) he was an Italian engraver best known for the long association that bound him to Piazzetta: working with him, Pitteri perfected his engraving technique, in an attempt to make engraving a true work of art, and not merely the pure reproduction of a painting. His fame reached its peak in 1753, when Carlo Goldoni dedicated the work Il frappatore to him.

Together with Piazzetta, Pitteri created several series of engravings, such as those for the volume Beatae Maria Virginis Officium (1740) and those, very fortunate, known as The Twelve Apostles (1744).

Angela Baroni: belonging to a family of Venetian engravers was a nun, refined engraver of typographic letters, that worked with Isabella Piccini, the first italian female engraver.

Conditions: perfect conditions.

Bibliography: Mostra degli incisori veneti del Settecento. Catalogo a cura di Rodolfo Pallucchini, Venezia 1941, p. 101 n. 481-488;G. Morazzoni, Il libro illustrato veneziano del Settecento, Arnoldo Forni Editore, 2010, p. 115-116, "Il gioiello più gentile del bibliopola Pasquali [...] il libretto è prezioso sotto ogni aspetto, essendo il risultato dell'armonica collaborazione di G.B. Piazzetta e di M. Pitteri, due artisti che in quel momento sono i più perfetti rappresentanti della pittura e dell'incisione veneziana" (The kindest jewel in the production of Pasquali [...] the booklet is precious under every aspect, being the result of the harmonious collaboration of G.B. Piazzetta and M. Pitteri, two artists who, at that time, were the most perfect representatives of Venetian painting and engraving); De Grassi, Libri illustrati del Settecento veneziano, p. 85; Boorsch, Venetian Prints and Books in the Age of Tiepolo 98.

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