Veduta di Campo Vaccina
Israel Silvestre (1621-1691), Veduta di Campo Vaccina, Vieu du Campe Vaccine, etching, c. 1660, from the series of Veduta, plate 8 [with the titles, name of Israel and the publisher Mariette in the plate]. In generally good condition, with margins, 5 1/4 x 10 1/8, the sheet 5 1/2 x 10 5/8 inches. Watermark: dagger with shield.
A very good impression, printed on a cream laid paper.
Israel Silvestre was a nephew of the print dealer Israel Henriet, who was a friend Jacques Callot. Henriet took Silvestre in as an orphan at an early age. Silvestre became a prolific etcher, making many view of France and Italy; later in his career he inherited his uncle’s plates, including many of the works of Callot and Stefano Della Bella. As is evident from this etching, he was strongly influenced by the work of these artists.
During the 17th and 18th Century the Roman Forum, the area between the Capitoline Hill and the Colosseum, was called the “Campo Vaccino” or cow field, for the Forum had been largely buried for many years in this area; in this etching we can still see cattle wandering over the middle ground; the Colosseum is visible in the background.
Detail