La vue de Venise - P. Van der Aa 1729

📜 Description
Engraved panoramic view depicting the city of Venice, published in Leiden in 1729 by Pieter Van der Aa within the “Thesaurus antiquitatum et historiarum Italiae”. The composition presents an extensive view of the lagoon city observed from the surrounding waters, with the urban skyline unfolding horizontally along the horizon. The scene highlights the intense maritime activity of the Venetian lagoon, animated by gondolas, merchant vessels and various boats, while the principal monumental buildings of Venice emerge in the distance. The engraved title “La Vue de Venise” clearly identifies the subject and emphasizes the documentary and descriptive function of the print. The engraving style, fine and analytical, renders with precision the atmospheric effects of the water and sky, according to an approach consistent with early eighteenth-century topographical and antiquarian printmaking. The work represents a significant iconographic testimony of Venice in the modern age and reflects the widespread European interest in Italian urban landscapes and maritime cities.

📚 Historical-Artistic Note
Pieter Van der Aa was among the leading Dutch publishers and cartographers active between the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, renowned for the broad dissemination of his illustrated geographical, historical and antiquarian works. The engraving belongs to the “Thesaurus antiquitatum et historiarum Italiae”, an extensive illustrated repertory dedicated to Italian cities, antiquities and history, conceived for a cultured European audience interested in the artistic and urban heritage of Italy.

🧾 Technical Details
Type: Panoramic view
Author / Maker: Pieter Van der Aa
Designer / Engraver: G. Graevius
Publisher / Printer: Pieter Van der Aa
Place: Leiden
Period: 1729
Material: Paper
Technique: Etching
Subject / Title: “La Vue de Venise”
Edition / Print Run: From “Thesaurus antiquitatum et historiarum Italiae”
Dimensions: Sheet approx. 35.5 x 45.5 cm; engraved area approx. 14 x 35 cm

🔍 Condition Report
Sheet in very good overall condition with minor and normal signs of age. Engraved surface well inked and clearly legible. Blank verso.