Fresco Decorations And Stuccoes Of Churches & Palaces In Italy, During the Fifteenth & Sixteenth Centuries With Descriptions By Lewis Gruner, And A Comparison between the Ancient Arabesques & those of the Sixteenth Century By Mr. A. [i.e. J. I.] Hittorff, Architect.

RA Collection: Book

Record number

05/46

Author

Ludwig Gruner

Imprint

London: John Murray, 50 Albemarle Street, P.D. Colnaghi 14 Pall Mall East, Hering & Remington, 137, Regent Street, & at the Authors., MDCCCXLIIII.

Physical Description

[6] p., engr. t.pl., [46] pl. (numbered 1, 2, 2a-17, 17a-30, I-XIII, 46) ; 570 mm.

[T.pl., dedic.] - Preface - List Of Plates - [Plates].

Responsibility Note

According to the Preface, Part I (on Roman palaces) is largely based on J. Thürmer and J.G. Gutensohn's Sammlung von Denkmälern u. Verzierungen der Baukunst in Rom (Dresden, 1832).

The engraved title plate carries the name of its source-artist, 'Bal. Peruzzi', and is not otherwise signed. In the group of plates numbered 1-30 no plates are signed by a draughtsman apart from pl. 24 (by Sc. Pistrucci) and pl. 28, 29 (by L. Gruner), but several are signed by engravers I.G.G. (or G.G.), I.Th., D. Ascani or E. Salandri. In the group numbered I-XIII, three are signed as drawn by F(r). Lose and one by A. Angelini; two are signed as engraved by E. Salandrini. Plate '46' is unsigned.

The work is dedicated by Lewis Gruner to Prince Albert and to the Royal Commission on the Fine Arts.

References

P. Morel, Les grotesques: les figures de l'imagination dans la peinture italienne de la fin de la Renaissance (1997); G. Ronchetti, Pittura murale (1983).

Summary Note

To accompany this large folio volume of plates there was also a quarto text volume entitled Descriptions of the plates of Fresco decorations and stuccoes ... By Lewis Gruner ... (London: printed for J. Murray, P. & D. Colnaghi, Hering & Remington, J. Weale, and L. Gruner, 1844). This contains most of the text, including Hittorff's essay.

The plates show: Part I [Rome]: Cortile of San Damaso In The Vatican (pl. 1-5); Villa Madama (6-12); Various Palaces (13-15); Palazzo Farnesina (16-18); Villa Lante (19,20). - Part II: Palazzo Del T. In Mantua (pl. 21-23); Ducal Palace In Mantua (24-30); Decorations of Ecclesiastical Buildings - Certosa, near Pavia (I-IX), [others] (XI-XIII). - Key to the Colouring of the Plates (pl. 46).

Several of the plates have been partly coloured by hand. All are captioned in German and French apart from plate '46'.

Provenance

Probably purchased from the author for £21 (i.e. 20 guineas) in the autumn of 1844 (see RA Accounts, Treasurer's Quarterly Abstract of Bills, Michaelmas to Christmas 1844, RAA/TRE/1/3).

Binding Note

19th-century half red morocco, marbled-papered boards; spine lettered 'Gruner's Frescoes Of Italy' and 'R.A.'

Name as Subject

Raphael
Giulio Romano

Subject

Interior decoration - Decoration and ornament, Architectural - Mural painting and decoration - Stucco - Arabesques - Church decoration and ornament - Palaces - Monasteries - Italy - Lazio - Rome - Lombardy - Mantua - Pavia - History - 15th century - 16th century - Renaissance
Pictorial works - Hand coloring - Great Britain - 19th century

Contributors

John Murray, publisher.
Ludwig Gruner, 1801-1882,, publisher., draughtsman
Albert Prince, Consort of Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, dedicatee
Sc. Pistrucci, draughtsman
Friedrich Lose, draughtsman
A. Angelini, draughtsman
Joseph Thürmer, engraver
D. Ascani, engraver
E. Salandri, engraver
Johann Gottfried Gutensohn, engraver
Jakob Ignaz Hittorff
Colnaghi and Company, publisher.
Hering and Remington (London), publisher.
John Murray (London), publisher