Veduta Generale di Roma presa dal Monte Gianicolo

VERY RARE FIRST STATE

First state, of the famous panorama from the Janiculum Hill that is attributed to the hand of Lugi Nisi-Cavalieri (Rome XIX sec.) and Augusto Marchetti (Forli 1813 - Rome 1871) for the publisher Tommaso Cuccioni.

A proof state, before the burin retouches in the landscape and in the large tree on the left; in our exemplar the use of the burin is limited to the foreground, which frames the terrace of the Janiculum hill, while the city and the landscape is outlined with the etching only.

Barbara Jatta writes: "The work is not mentioned by the common repertories and the lack of inscriptions leads us to formulate only attributive hypotheses. It is known a copy of the work (Rome, BASA) that indicates as publisher, and client, Tommaso Cuccioni, active in Rome, via Condotti n. 18. We also know of him a small panorama of the city that, perfectly corresponding to this one, even if of very small dimensions, bears the indications "A. Marchetti inc. il paesaggio L. Nisi-Cavalieri inc. il Panorama". It seems therefore possible, considering the correspondence between the two engravers, that also the present one is to be traced back to the same authors. [...] Cuccioni was also one of the first and most famous Roman photographers of the nineteenth century. [...] The panorama of Rome from the Janiculum Hill exhibited here has without doubt a close relationship with the beginnings of photographic technique. Carried out with etching and burin, it owes its basic approach to the use of mechanical instruments".

In addition: "Of the panorama there is also an exemple engraved on the etching, not finished with the burin, and before the letter (Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Stampe Ashby, Miscell. Panorami 24) that bears only a mark with the initials C. F. to date unidentified" (cf. Barbara Jatta in Roma Veduta, p. 230).

Therefore, if the attribution to Nisi-Cavalieri and Marchetti is, although plausible, purely conjectured, the commission of Tommaso Cuccioni is certain. A fact that leads us to indicate him, as publisher, commissioner and photographer, as the main author of this view. The mark that Barbara Jatta identifies in "C. F." clearly appears to us as a "C. T."; monogram that identifies - beyond any doubt - Tommaso Cuccioni.

The final issue, with burin retouching and completion of the plate, bears the imprint "Si trova vendibile presso l'Editore Tommaso Cuccioni, Negoziante di Stampe. Roma, Via della Croce n. 88".

The address of via della Croce 88 also puts in doubt the dating assigned by Barbara Jatta to the work (about 1848) that could be therefore also previous. In accordance with her biographical notes in fact (see Marina Miraglia - Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - Volume 31, 1985) Cuccioni is described already active at the address of Via Condotti 18 before the death of Pope Gregory XVI (1846). A dating around 1840, seems to us more compatible with the biographical notes.

Etching and engraving, printed on three sheets of paper datable to the first half of the 19th century, with margins, in excellent condition. Very rare.