Giuseppe Vasi - Palazzo Mattei in Rome

The subject of this print may be connected to the genre of Vedutismo. Vedutismo originated in the 18th century and developed primarily in Venice. Vedutismo painters aimed to represent a landscape objectively and scientifically, placing it as the protagonist of the work. There are essentially two types of vedute: the realistic one, taken exactly from reality, and the "capriccio," a fanciful view invented by the painter. Vedutismo is a genre that continues to enjoy popularity in artistic production, revived by artists in new forms and new interpretations. It has also become particularly popular in printmaking, where depictions of city views or other buildings abound, emphasizing the architectural element within a rigorous perspective.

The work fully lives up to its high illustrative and didactic commitment to capturing the architectural view in every minute detail. The technique is indeed extraordinary, in its rigorous perspective approach and its ability to capture every architectural detail with miniaturist refinement. The direction of light, which cuts through the space in evocative flashes, is also beautiful. The true peculiarity of these prints is that, upon closer inspection, we discover that the perfection of the buildings and streets is actually constructed by dense hatching, making the objects come alive and vibrant.

Giuseppe Vasi (Corleone, 1710 – Rome, 1782) was an Italian engraver, architect, and view painter. Vasi arrived in Rome in 1736 from Sicily. After a three-year apprenticeship, he joined the circle of Pope Clement XII. In the 1740s, Vasi began his independent production. The first step was a series entitled Views of Rome on the Tiber: the series, variously dated, was probably completed in 1743. In the following years, Vasi devoted himself to his major undertaking, The Magnificence of Ancient and Modern Rome, ten volumes published between 1747 and 1761, each containing 20 engravings.

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