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Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1717-68) "The father of modern
archaeology" Monumenti antichi inediti,
spiegati ed illustrati |
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"Winckelmann, by the contemplation of the ideal works
of the ancients, received a sort of inspiration, through which he opened
a new sense for the study of art. He is to be regarded as one of those
who, in the sphere of art, have known how to initiate a new organ for
the human spirit."
--Hegel, Philosophy of Art |
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Winckelmann is best known for his monumental Geschichte der Kunst des Altertums (History of the Art of Antiquity, 1764), which enjoyed tremendous popular success and permanently reshaped aesthetic criticism. The Monuments, his last published work, stands by itself as "a masterpiece of interpretation and explanation" and "a pioneering work in the field of archaeological methodology" (Catholic Encyclopedia; Lappmann). Significantly, it is also the only one of Winckelmann's works published in his lifetime to be extensively illustrated. |
| "In the days before photography and mass tourism, when only a few readers could be expected to have actually seen a Greek or Roman work, engravings were of course an integral part of such work. Those in the Monuments were done by Giovanni Battista Casanova, a brother of the celebrated Giacomo, and according to Winckelmann 'the greatest draftsman in Rome'." --Lappmann, Winckelmann |
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For more images:
| WINCKELMANN, Johnann Joachim. Monumenti Antichi Inediti Spiegati ed Illustrata. Rome: published by the author, 1767. Folio, contemporary vellum with original red leather label, decorated endpapers. Two volumes in one. Text in Italian. Bookplates. Light wear to binding, very small library number on dedication leaf, small tear to endpaper. Occasional light foxing. Plates very clean. A very handsome, wide-margined copy in contemporary vellum of the beautifully-illustrated first edition. $3200. |
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