Pozzo - Perspectivae Pictorum - 1706

THE ART OF DELUDING THE EYE: POZZO’S BAROQUE PERSPECTIVE IN THE GERMAN EDITION
Rare Pars Secunda of the celebrated Perspectivae pictorum atque architectorum by Andrea Pozzo, in the first Latin-German edition printed at Augsburg by Johann Wolff between 1706 and 1709. A cornerstone of European Baroque culture, the treatise codifies in theoretical and spectacular form the illusionistic techniques that made the author, a Jesuit, and the undisputed master of quadratura famous. The bilingual edition testifies to the rapid diffusion of perspectival aesthetics in the German-speaking area, where it profoundly influenced architects, painters, and stage designers.
MARKET VALUE
The 18th-century German editions of Pozzo’s Perspectiva are consistently sought after on international markets for their historical importance and the quality of the engravings. Even Pars Secunda alone maintains significant interest. Similar copies, complete with the plates and in contemporaneous binding, typically fetch between 1,000 and 2,500 euros, with variations depending on the condition and the freshness of the impressions.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Contemporary full leather binding; some splits at the joints and wear to the boards and spine. Pars Secunda only (of 2). Text in Latin and German. 121 copper-engraved plates by Johannes Boxbarth and Georg Conrad Bodenehr, depicting illusionistic architectural apparatus, painted vaults, scenographic altars, perspective projections, and geometric constructions. Some stains. In antique books, with a long multi-century history, a few imperfections may be present that are not always noted in the description. Pp. 182; (2);

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Perspectivae pictorum atque architectorum. II Pars.
Augustae, Joh. Frider. Probst, haered. Jeremiae Wolffii, 1706–1709.
Andrea Pozzo.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
Originally published in Rome in 1693–1700, Perspectiva represents the most influential manual of Baroque architectural perspective. Pozzo, author of the spectacular illusionistic frescoes in the Church of Sant’Ignazio in Rome, translated Jesuit scenographic practice into a rigorous theoretical system. Pars Secunda deepens the architectural and decorative applications of perspective, offering models of altars, domes, ephemeral architectures, and stage apparatus. The Augsburg edition, bilingual Latin-German, was pivotal for the diffusion of illusionistic aesthetics within the Habsburg Empire and the German territories, contributing to the formation of a unified architectural language between Italy and Germany.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Andrea Pozzo (Trento, 1642 – Vienna, 1709), a Jesuit, painter, architect, and perspective theorist, was one of the leading interpreters of European illusionistic Baroque. Active in Rome and Vienna, he is renowned for his spectacular quadratures and for systematizing perspective techniques in a treatise that enjoyed vast editorial success and translations into multiple languages.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The Augsburg edition, printed by Johann Wolff between 1706 and 1709, constitutes the first Latin-German version of the work. The plates were engraved by Johannes Boxbarth and Georg Conrad Bodenehr, engravers active within the German editorial milieu. The work enjoyed wide circulation in German-speaking lands, influencing architectural and decorative culture of the early 18th century.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU/OPAC SBN: locations of the eighteenth-century editions of Perspectiva (to be verified for the Augsburg 1706–1709 edition).
USTC (Universal Short Title Catalogue), for the Wolff edition.
Millard, French Books on Architecture and Engineering, for European Pozzo editions.
Fowler, Italian Baroque Architectural Theory.