Description
View of the city of Florence from the low wall of the Prato de’ Padri di San Francesco al Monte – 1650, original engraving hand watercolored.
In the field of mapmaking, generally speaking, it is a risk to give an exact “date of birth” to prospective views or panoramas of cities and therefore remains merely an inconclusive speculation. The uncertainties are too great and are historical sources are too enveloped in legends. Nevertheless, we are talking about a category that holds a reserved but not secondary place in artistic-map-making productions, capable of uniting an indubitable aesthetic impact to that of an ever present and elevated accuracy strongly tied to reality. This can be said about the beautiful view of Florence by Valerio Spada which is remarkable for its precision and powerful visual effect. It dates back to the 17th century and is mostly characterized by an elaborate scroll ornament containing a dedication to Prince Leopoldo of Tuscany. This representation also reveals sharp outlines and a masterfully drawn prospective. Note also the accuracy in the legend found on the lower margin which details the directions to certain important monuments of the city by using precise numeric points of reference. The indubitable value of the this object would have been lost to us today if modern methods of production had been used. And it is for this reason that View of the city of Florence from the low wall of the Prato de’ Padri di San Francesco al Monte has been chosen. Techniques from the 17th century have been used to reproduce this work.
Finely engraved plates and an antique manual press were used that give this work its fundamental characteristic that ties it to the past: Engraving. The paper is 100% cotton and it undergoes a delicate and important aging process using only natural substances. The watercoloring is done by expert artists in their field who give the work subtle hues and a harmonious composition of colors resulting in a pleasant scenic or stage effect.
