Premium Wannenes Art Auctions
129
-
[MICROGRAPHY]. BUZZI, Vincenzo (1798–1870).
See original version (Italian)
129
-
[MICROGRAPHY]. BUZZI, Vincenzo (1798–1870).
See original version (Italian)
Estimate €1,000 - €1,500
Voluntary lot
Description
[MICROGRAPHY]. BUZZI, Vincenzo (1798–1870). *L’Aquila*, containing *La clemenza di Tito* by the Reverend Pietro Metastasio… Reggio, 1824.
A rare and highly accomplished example of nineteenth-century micrography by Vincenzo Buzzi, one of the foremost Italian practitioners of this remarkable calligraphic art. Entirely handwritten and dedicated to His Royal Highness Francis IV, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Modena, Reggio and Mirandola, the composition incorporates the complete text of Pietro Metastasio’s *La clemenza di Tito*, ingeniously arranged in minute script to form the central eagle, the flanking coats of arms and the elaborate ornamental framework. Buzzi himself provided instructions for deciphering the composition: ‘One begins by reading from the eagle’s beak, line by line, as far as the book, then…’, guiding the reader through the intricate progression of the text. Born in Lentigione in 1798, Buzzi worked as an itinerant private tutor following his involvement in the uprisings of 1821 and became particularly renowned for his elaborate micrographic compositions, in which images, portraits and ornamental designs are formed entirely from texts written in exceptionally minute script. This work belongs to the small body of his known compositions, which also includes examples dedicated to Tassoni’s *Secchia Rapita* and to Napoleon I. No work by Buzzi appears to have been recorded at auction, making this composition an exceptionally rare surviving example of nineteenth-century Italian micrographic and calligraphic art.
Manuscript micrography on paper (515 × 420 mm), incorporating the text of Metastasio’s *La clemenza di Tito* in microscopic script arranged as an elaborate triumphal composition featuring coats of arms and a central eagle. In good condition. (1)
See original version (Italian)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like