414. Bonifaccio (Giovanni) Disegno del Modo di Condurre l’Obelisco dette volgarm[en]te la Guglia dal luogo remoto dietro la Chiesa di S. Pietro...alla piazza di rimpetto la parta principale della med[esi]ma Chiesa..., copper engraving, 3 composite sections, 510 x 1170mm, laid down on thick old paper, rolled, minor loss to border of top right corner, some light staining, but generally in good condition, Rome, Bartolomeo Grassi, 1586.
est. £6000 – £8000
Exceedingly rare. We can trace only one copy of this work offered for sale in the last 50 years. A composite picture of various stages of the transportation of the ‘Vatican Obelisk’. The left-hand panel ends with Fontana’s announcement of the book he planned, which appeared 3 years later (see lot 418).