Roma

Magnificent and rare view of Rome taken from the foot of Monte Mario, with St. Peter's Basilica, still without its colonnade, on the right. It is based on the panorama by Israel Silvestre, printed in 1642.

Lower right contains a numerical legend of 42 keys-references to major sites and monuments.

The poems in Latin, Dutch and French below the view also mention that in spite of its splendor Rome is undergoing changes: Quid Romam in media quæris novus advena Roma Et Romæ in Roma nil reperis media: Aspice murorum moles præruptaque faxa: Hæc funt Roma. Viden' quas fpiret illa minas. Vicit ut hæc mundum, nifa eſt ſe vincere: vicit; A fe non victum ne quid in orbe foret. Nunc victa in Roma Roma illa invicta ſepulta eſt,. Atque eadem victrix victaque Roma fuit. [Beautiful Rome, in short, the princess of the world, The ornament of Europe, and the school of the arts. The heroine of old, second to none, Made herself invincible in battle, and hazards; But time has eaten away at her heart; The vengeful Rome is vanquished by herself, And lies dead within her own walls, So the old goes to naught and the new takes a start].

Prepared for the very rare Icones praecipuarum urbium totius Europae, published in Amsterdam, 1675, by Clement de Jonghe.

Second state example, with imprint by Frederick de Wit at lower right: Gedruckt 't Amsterdam by Frederick de Wit inde Calverstraat by den Dam inde Witte Paskaert. Taken from Theatrum praecipuarum totius Europae urbium tam ichnographice quam conspicue delineatarum. 

Clement De Jonghe (1624-1677) was a Dutch engraver, publisher, and print dealer. A friend of Rembrandt, he obtained as many as 74 of his plates and, in 1651, had an engraved portrait made. With more than 60,000 prints, Clement De Jonghe is a major player in the art market. His intaglio activity took place mainly in Amsterdam with an address 'in de Calverstraat inde gekroonde konst en kaert-winckel' (from 1658 to 1679). He died in June 1677, probably on the 25th, the same day he was buried in the Old Church in Amsterdam. The business, after 1677, was continued by his widow Jacomijntje Jacobs.

His collection of copper plates (including 74 by Rembrandt) was sold at auction in Amsterdam on June 14 and October 25, 1679. The copperplates of the Icones praecipuarum urbium totius Europae were purchased by Frederick de Wit, who reprinted them, also in Amsterdam, around 1680.

Frederick de Wit (c. 1630 - 1706) was a cartographer and publisher, originally from Gouda. He moved to Amsterdam in 1648, studying under the Blaeu family, and in 1654 started his own business, opening a print shop under the sign "The Three Crabs" which he later changed to "The White Chart". In 1660 he published his map of the world, Nova Totius Terrarum Orbis Tabula, produced both as a wall map and as a reduction to an in-folio atlas format (see Shirley, The Mapping of the World, no. 444). Two years later he began printing atlases that were assembled essentially to the customer's requirements, some of which included more than 150 maps. After marrying Maria van der Way, a native of Amsterdam, de Wit obtained citizen privileges and became a member of the city guild of St. Luke's in 1664. In 1675 he published his lavish nautical atlas, Orbis Maritimus ofte Zee Atlas, also known for its elaborate decoration. In 1695, he published a book of city views of the Netherlands, Perfekte aftekeningen der steden van del XVII Nederlandsche provincien. After de Wit's death, his widow, Maria, continued the business until 1710. Their son, Franciscus, was a fish merchant and had no interest in the map store. The print shop was, therefore, sold at auction and most of the plates were purchased by Pieter Mortier.

Etching, printed on contemporary laid paper, with full margins, in perfect condition. Very rare work, not described in any of the numerous bibliographies on Rome.

Bibliografia

C. Koeman, Atlantes Neerlandici: Bibliography of Terrestrial, Maritime and Celestial Atlases and Pilot Books Published in the Netherlands up to 1880; Jan van der Waals, 'Prenten in de Gouden Eeuw', Rotterdam 2006, appendix 3, pp. 206-15; Frans Laurentius, 'CdJ, Kunstverkoper in de Gouden Eeuw', Houten 2010