Le Antichità Romane, vols. 1-4. Rome: A Rotilj, 1756

Curatorial Notes:

Vol. 3, pl. XIV: Piranesi’s early publications attest to his fascination with ancient burial monuments. This page from the Antichità Romane shows the so-called Tomb of Nero outside the city on the Via Cassia. A frolicking griffin ornaments the unusual open-air sarcophagus, set on a high pedestal atop a hill. Although its inscription makes clear that this tomb belonged to Publius Vibius Marianus and Regina Maxima, it became known as the Tomb of Nero in the medieval period.

Additional notes:

Vol. 1, title page: Piranesi’s Antichità Romane was his first book that interleaved a learned text with printed illustrations. Presenting “many years of indefatigable, exacting observations, excavations, and research,” as its text proudly stated, the book reconstructed ancient Rome in words and images. After James Caulfeild withdrew his promised financial support for the book, Piranesi changed his original dedication, hacking away Caulfeild’s name and coat-of-arms from the inscription.

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Catalogo ragionato dei libri d'arte e d'antichità posseduti dal conte Cicognara 3828
F. Vinton, Subject-catalogue of the Library of College of New Jersey, (1884), p. 622, col. 1, shelf mark "Cabinet 3.25-28"

Description:

Vol. 1 contains an additional 13 plates at the end, some dated 1787 and 2 by Francesco Piranesi. Vol. 3 has an additional double plate at the end signed: Cav. Piranesi F so must be dated after 1765. Described in A. M. Hind's Giovanni Battista Piranesi, 1922, p. 83.
SAX copy, tomo 1: Incomplete: Title page and all leaves between page 40 and page iii (second series) wanting. Only plates v-vii present at beginning of volume. Catalogue information for Charlmont Library auction, 1892, pasted in.

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