Illustrations from an Italian Book of Proverbs (1718)

Oct 1, 2015



Illustrations from an Italian book of proverbs made by the engraver and painter Giuseppe Maria Mitelli (1634–1718). The son of painter Agostino Mitelli (1609-1660), the younger Mitelli recreated paintings by famous artists and was also a prolific engraver whose work ranged from satirical to everyday scenes. The book, originally made in 1678, seems to have been a gift for Francesco Maria de' Medici, the Governor of Siena in Tuscany, while this edition from 1718 includes texts in both Italian and German.