Veduta di Boston

Milan. Batelli. Aquatint with hand-coloring. Image measures 6.25" x 9".<br/><br/> This lovely aquatint shows a view of the Boston Common from Cambridge across the Charles River. A large building flying an American Flag sits in the foreground with the city behind it, an expanse of water and a few small boats between them. The Boston Commons and State House can be identified in the cityscape. In addition, numerous church steeples rise from the clustered building into the hazy yellow sky, which casts a warm glow on the scene. The print appears to be based on an engraving in the 1787 issue of Columbia Magazine. It was included in Ferrario's "Il Costume Antico e Moderno." or "Ancient and Modern Costumes." The print is in very good condition with vibrant hand-coloring and full margins. Minimal overall wear. Giulio Ferrario (1767-1847) was founder of the Società Tipografica de' Classici Italiani and served as the director of the Braidense National Library in Milan. He published his multi-volume work "Ancient and Modern Costumes: The history of the government, the militia, the religion, the arts and sciences, and the customs of all people ancient and modern" between 1816 and 1827. The compendium included a number of excellent, rare views of America based on the work of various artists, such as this one.<br/><br/>