Sixty Different Sorts of Ornaments invented by Gaetano Brunetti, Italian painter, very useful to painters, sculptors, stone-carvers, wood-carvers, silversmiths etc.

RA Collection: Book

Record number

06/3159

Imprint

[London]: Publish'd pursuant to an Act of Parliament, June ye 25. 1736.

Physical Description

[62] pl. (incl. t.pl.); 193 mm.

[T.pl.] - [Plates] - [Plate for recording author's receipt of payment, with blanks left for date and name of payer].

Responsibility Note

Each plate is signed as designed and drawn by G. Brunetti and engraved by H. Fletcher or J. Rocque. Each also carries the imprint, 'Publish'd pursuant to an Act of Parliament June y^e 25. 1736.'

References

The context of this publication is described in M. Snodin, ed., Rococo Art and Design in Hogarth's England [exhibition catalogue] (1984).

Studies of engraver John Rocque include A. Horner, 'Cartouches and vignettes on the Kildare estate maps of John Rocque', in Quarterly Bulletin of the Irish Georgian Society, 14 (1971), p.57-76; H. Philips. 'John Rocque's career', in London Topographical Record, 20 (1952), p.9-25; J. Varley, 'John Rocque', in Imago Mundi, 5 (1948), p.83-91.

Summary Note

Some plates carry the date of February 1737. (An edition of 1731 is mentioned in The Staatliche Muzeen zu Berlin Katalog der Ornamentstichsammlung (1939), 587.)

Several pattern books of rococo designs were published in Italy, France and other parts of Europe. This was one of the first published in Britain - where, although Palladianism was the dominant vogue in architecture, greater freedom and exuberance were accepted in interior design.

The plates show designs for pier tables, wall decorations, escutcheons, cartouches, a niche, pier glasses, sedan chairs, pediments, a fountain, frames, a gable and a tomb. Some plates carry two images.

Provenance

The front pastedown is inscribed in pencil, 'CLE.', i.e. probably Charles Lock Eastlake, who was librarian of the Royal Academy 1842 July - 1844 December and President 1850 November - 1865 February.

Copy Note

Imperfect: lacks title-plate and twenty of 62 unnumbered plates.

Five unnumbered plates showing cartouches have been bound in. As these carry no publication-date and are unsigned (apart from one signed as engraved by I. Rocque), they appear to be from a different series.

Subject

Interior decoration - Furniture - Ornaments - Designs - Great Britain - History - 18th century - Rococo
Pattern books - Great Britain - 18th century
Pictorial works - Great Britain - 18th century