ROME MDCCCXLIX

Bird's eye view over Rome, taken from Janiculum Hill drawn by George Housman Thomas (Lonon 1824 – Boulogne 1868), engraved by Walter Mason and published by William Little in the supplement to the 'Illustrated London News', 4^th May, 1850.

Wood-engraving from two blocks, joined, and with fine colouring.

“Questa veduta di Roma da Villa Savorelli sul Gianicolo, sede del quartier generale di Garibaldi, disegnata dal vero dal pittore ed illustratore inglese George Thomas, raffigura la città (dal colle Vaticano a Villa Spada) dopo la resa all’esercito francese dei difensori della Repubblica Romana il 30 giugno del 1849. In primo piano, al di sopra del fontanone di Paolo V, è raffigurato un ecclesiastico che conversa con due ufficiali francesi. A sinistra, tra le macerie e i fusti di alcuni cannoni, sono altri gruppi di cittadini e soldati che osservano la scena; poco più sotto è la villa del Vascello ormai ridotta a rudere dopo i bombardamenti” (cfr. Mario Gori Sassoli in “Roma Veduta”, p. 235, n. 75).

The Illustrated London News, historic magazine of news and the arts, published in London, a forerunner in the use of various graphic arts. It was founded as a weekly in 1842 by Herbert Ingram, and it became a monthly in 1971. It was London’s first illustrated periodical, with 32 woodcuts in the 16 pages of its first issue. It was also the first periodical to make extensive use of woodcuts and engravings and the first to use photographs. The Illustrated London News was an instant success, and when, shortly after it appeared, it won the approval of the archbishop of Canterbury, it also won the support of the churchgoing public. At first its illustrations focused mainly on English social life. Later, it broadened its scope to embrace general news and the arts and began to send its artists all over the world to record events as they occurred. In 1912 it became the first periodical using rotogravure to publish an integrated picture and text section. When the Illustrated London News became a monthly, it had gained note for its worldwide photographic coverage of cultural activities. In the early 21st century it was published twice yearly.

Bibliografia

Mario Gori Sassoli in “Roma Veduta”, p. 235, n. 75.