Live Auction 10404Old Master Prints
Louis Jean Desprez (1743-1804) and Francesco Piranesi (circa 1756-1810)
Lot 227 Various Properties

Louis Jean Desprez (1743-1804) and Francesco Piranesi (circa 1756-1810)

Illumination de la Croix de Saint-Pierre (An Interior of St. Peter's from the South Transept, with the Baldacchino, the Illuminated Hanging Cross, and St. Longinus)

Closed9 December 2015

Price Realised

GBP 2,750

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Louis Jean Desprez (1743-1804) and Francesco Piranesi (circa 1756-1810)
Illumination de la Croix de Saint-Pierre (An Interior of St. Peter's from the South Transept, with the Baldacchino, the Illuminated Hanging Cross, and St. Longinus)
etching with extensive hand-colouring in ink and watercolour, circa 1787, on laid paper, a fine impression of the rare first state (of two), signed by Desprez in black ink, with the original paper borders stuck to the sheet edges and laid onto the backboard, the watercolour slightly attenuated, minor defects at the edges, otherwise in good condition, framed
P. 695 x 475 mm., S. 712 x 497 mm.

Specialist note

Desprez moved from Paris to Rome in 1777 having won the Prix de Rome the previous year. In 1781 he began collaborating with Francesco Piranesi, son of the Giovanni Battista, on a series of hand-coloured etchings created for the Grand Tour market and depicting well known sites of Rome, Naples and Pompeii.

Wollin records eight impressions of this state, including three hand-coloured examples: one in the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, and two at the École Polytechnique, Paris.