Vite de'Pittori Scultori ed Architetti che Anno Lavorato in Roma Morti dal 1641 fino al 1673. by PASSERI, Giambattista - 1772.

Rome.: Presso Gregorio Settari Librajo al Corso all'Insegna d'Omero con Licenza de Superori., 1772.. Contemporary calf-backed marbled boards, spine with gilt decoration and black calf label with gilt title, marbled edges.. 4to.. Engraved title in red with vignette bust of Homer and decorative scrolled border in black by Carloni, editor's dedication to Count Ignazio Accoramboni, leaf with Imprimatur recto, 'Discorso Preliminare' verso, leaf with editor's preface (Giovanni Bottari), leaf with list of subjects, text. Decorative woodcut initials and tail-pieces throughout. First edition of Passeri's important collection of lives of 17th-century artists.Passeri's text - continuing Baglione's 1642 'Le vite de'pittori ... ' - details the lives of important artists in the order of their deaths. Commencing with Domenico Zampieri (Il Domenichino) he includes such painters as Petro Wander (Il Mamboccio), Guido Reni, Pietro Testa, Francesco Albani, Poussin, Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (Il Guercino), Pietro (Berettini) da Cortona and Salvator Rosa, as well as the sculptors Francesco Fiammingo, Alessandro Alguardi, Giuliano Finelli and Giuseppe Peroni, the architects Girolamo Rainaldi, Martino Lunghi and Martino Boromino and the mosaicist Giambattista Calandra.'Passeri, an artist-writer who belonged to the conservative circle (he omitted Bernini), recorded the artistic life in Rome from 1641-73.' (Arntzen & Rainwater).[PROVENANCE: Contemporary (unrelated?) manuscript letter tipped-in to front pastedown; 19th century manuscript annotation to front pastedown: 'Coll[ated]. & perf[ect]: F. C. B. 27 Febr. 1891'].[Arntzen & Rainwater H72; Cicognara 2344].