La Carta Del Navegar Pitoresco Dialogo Tra un Senator venetian deletante, e un professor de Pitura, soto nome d'Ecelenza, e de Compare. Comparti In Oto Venti Con i quali la Nave venetiana vien conduta in l'alto Mar de la Pitura, come assoluta dominante de quelo a confusion de chi non intende el bossolo dela calamita. Opera de Marco Boschini. Con i argumenti del Volonteroso Academico Delfico. - Consagrà Al' Altezza Imperial De Leopoldo Guglielmo, Arciduca d'Austria.
[T.p.] - [Two plates] - [Dedic.] - Incita apetito ala Curiosità - [Addresses to Boschinin in prose and verse] - [Text] - Pitori Nominadi In l'Opera; Deletanti De Pitura, Che opera; Opere Private; Cose Notabile - Errori Piu Importanti - Avertimento.
Responsibility Note
The two plates and the in-text illustrations are unsigned.
The work is dedicated by Marco Boschini to 'Serenissima Imperial Altezza' (Leopoldo Guglielmo, Arciduca d'Austria).
References
P. Sohm, Pittoresco: Marco Boschini, his critics and their critiques of painterly brushwork in seventeenth-century and eighteenth-century Italy (1992).
Summary Note
In this poem Boschini strongly defends the colour and free brushwork associated with Venetian painting in contrast with the emphasis on composition and design which Vasari attributes to Florentine and Roman traditions. The poem is divided into eight 'winds'.
The first plate shows a man writing. The second shows Mercury presenting the female figure of Painting to a crowned figure seated on a cloud above a coat-of-arms and a sailing ship. All in-text illustrations are in 'Vento Otavo', and most show allegoric figures.
Provenance
The verso of the front loose endpaper is inscribed in pencil, 'S.A:H', i.e. S.A. Hart, librarian of the Royal Academy 1864-81. A preliminary leaf is inscribed in pencil, 'Duplicate from the library of Sir C.L. Eastlake P.R.A.'
Binding Note
19th-century half white vellum, marbled-papered boards; brown morocco spine labels lettered 'Boschini - La Carta Del Navegar' and 'Venetia 1660'.
Subject
Painting - Paintings - Italy - Veneto - Venice - History
Art criticism - Art history - Poetry, Italian - Italy - Veneto - Venice - 17th century