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Rome Now and Then II: Giuseppe Vasi
Rome Now and Then II: Giuseppe Vasi
Giuseppe Vasi (Corleone, Sicily 1710–1782 Rome, Italy)
From The Magnificenze di Roma Antica e Moderna.
The ironic epigram attributed to Picasso that, 'An artist must lie to tell the truth,' admirably captures Vasi's 'modus operandi' in creating his 'vedute' and effectively introduces his synthetic vision. Vasi's objective was to render places in Rome appealing to the eye but also intelligible to the mind, resulting in images that could inspire reflection or anticipation and illicit a response from the knowledgeable observer.
From p. 67 James Tice, Giuseppe Vasi’s Rome, Lasting Impressions from the Age of the Grand Tour, James T Tice and James G Harper. Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, University of Oregon, Eugene. 2010.
Image Credit:
Giuseppe Vasi
"An artist must lie to tell the truth."
Pablo Picasso
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La Sapienza, University of Rome
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Piazza Nicosia - Palazzo Aragona Gonzaga
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Palazzo del Monte di Pietà
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Collegio Ecclesiastico a Ponte Sisto... 1. Fianco del Ponte Sisto, 2. Chiesa o Cappella di S. Francesco, 3. Fontana dette di ponte Sisto, 4. Collegio sudetto, 5. Parte dell’Ospizio dei Pellegrini. Plate 177 (catalogued at 178) from Book IX, Schools, Hospices, and Hospitals from Delle Magnificenze di Roma Antica e Moderna...
Giuseppe Vasi (Corleone, Sicily 1710–1782 Rome, Italy)
1759
225 x 340 mm
Etching
$400
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Giuseppe Vasi (Corleone, Sicily 1710–1782 Rome, Italy)
Monte di Pieta, e banco pubblico 1. Chiesa dei SS. Terefia, e Gios. della Croce, 2. Convento dei PP. Teresiani Scalzi, gia palazzo, ove abbito’ Urbano VIII. mentre era Cardinale, 3. Calamento, ove era la Chiela di S. Martinello. Plate 180 from Book IX, Schools, Hospices, and Hospitals from Delle Magnificenze di Roma Antica e Moderna...
1759
220 x 335 mm
Etching
$400
Giuseppe Vasi had an excellent eye for composition, a technical mastery of his medium and a keen understanding of architecture and urban space, …he also had a measure of the courtier’s abilities, …helpful in an age in which wealthy tastemaker–patrons set the agenda for the arts.
From p. 19 James G Harper, Giuseppe Vasi’s Rome, Lasting Impressions from the Age of the Grand Tour, James T Tice and James G Harper. Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, University of Oregon, Eugene. 2010.
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