Figurine. Varia et concinna delineamenta

ROSA Salvatore
Figurine. Varia et concinna delineamenta
N. n., n. p. n. d. [circa 1656], small in-4 (15,5 x 22 cm), one frontispice et 60 plates, restoration-period binding
62 etchings on thick paper. Very rare.
Salvatore Rosa made these etchings around 1656 in a collection originally entitled Figurine. This collection has a different title in the cartouche on the frontispiece, just as another copy in the Soares dos reis Portuguese National Museum bears the title: Has ludentis oty Carolo Rubeo singularis amititiae pignantes. D. D. D. The copy in the Portuguese museum is cataloged as a posthumous edition from the 18th century. Most of the engravings in this set can be seen separately at the Fine Art Museum of San Francisco (the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Art, the biggest collection of engravings in America). The Los Angeles County Museum has 8, while the Museum of Fine Art in Boston has 4. The engravings are described as having the same format as our set (13.6 x 8.9 cm), some engraved after anonymous artists, others drawn by Salvatore Rosa himself; the stylistic differences are clearly visible. The frontispiece of the copy held in the San Francisco museum is blank. The museum has only 52 engravings, all reversed.
All the engravings in the present set have a monogram with the two letters, S and R interlaced. Some of the monograms are reversed, which leads one to think that the plates themselves are also reversed.
Plate 29 has been repaired, the lower margin under the engraving has been replaced (the plate having been at some point cut to the edge of the image). Light brown stain to the upper margin of title, not touching plate. Plate 33 incorrectly cut at bottom margin.
An Italian book has recently appeared on the subject: Figurine d'acquaforte: mostra di incisioni di Salvatore Rosa. Benevento, Museo del Sannio, 9 dicembre 2000-7 gennaio 2001 (published by the del Sannio Museum).
Restoration-period navy blue polished half sheep, spine with blindstamps and blindruled fillets and gilt roulettes. A small tear with lack to head of lower joint.
Salvatore Rosa (1615-1673) was born in Naples and died in Rome. He worked at the court of the Medicis and was a major Italian Baroque painter as well as a poet and popular actor. He was later considered to have heavily influenced the Romantic style.