1756. BOOK: (ART). CUNEGO, DOMENICO (ENGRAVER):.... Lot 10

1756. BOOK: (ART). [ CUNEGO, DOMENICO (ENGRAVER):]. ANTIQUITATIS RELIQUIAE A MARCHIONE JACOBO MUSELLIO COLLECTAE TABULOS INCISAE ET BREVIBUS EXPLICATIONIBUS ILLUSTRATAE. Verona: Apud Augustinum Carattonium, Episcopalis Seminarii Typographum, 1756. Folio. 4 h. including engraved title page (drawn by Felix Boscharatus and engraved by Dom. Cunego), and portrait of the prince of Poland Frederick Christian (drawn and engraved by D. Cunego) + 60 p.+ 183 plates. The dedication to the prince-elect headed with an engraved frontispiece containing the coat of arms of the prince held by angels, drawing by Petrus Perotti and engraved by Dioni Valesi; and engraved capital letter, at the end of the dedication a beautiful intaglio engraved vignette (unsigned). The text is headed with a dedication to the 'Lectori erudito / Al leggitore erudito' in two columns and bilingual Latin-Italian, decorating the text with an unsigned copperplate engraved frontal, two capital letters and a vignette at the end xylographic. It begins the text (two columns and bilingual), which are the descriptive cards of each of the figures reproduced, headed by a copper engraved frontal, at the end a beautiful engraving of the 'Arena di Verona come sta al presente'. Following are plates I to CLXXXIII. Enc. original of the time in full stiff parchment with gilt irons on the spine. Magnificent copy, very rare complete. Domenico Cunego (1724 or 1725-1803), began as a painter but no oil paintings of his are preserved. At the age of 18 he turned to engraving and developed great skill combining the techniques of engraving and etching, which soon brought him fame. He reproduced in engraving the works of the most outstanding artists of the Renaissance. He was an artist of international fame. He engraved commissioned effigies of the royal family of Prussia, and traveled to London to produce engravings for the well-known Boydell printing house.