Chi muore giace, chi vive si dà pace - C. Lasinio 1786

📜 Description
Antique etching engraved by C. Lasinio in Florence in 1786 after a design by G. Piattoli, illustrating the moral proverb “Chi muore giace, chi vive si dà pace.” The scene is set within an interior where the main subject is a deceased man lying on a draped table in the foreground, while a standing figure gestures toward an adjacent room, establishing the narrative focus. In the background, visible through an open doorway, three figures—two elegantly dressed individuals and a musician—are engaged in music and dance, creating a contrast between mourning and worldly continuity. The composition is structured in two distinct spatial zones, juxtaposing death and life within a theatrical and didactic framework. The inscription below reads: “Chi muore giace, chi vive si dà pace. Muore il Ricco, ed appena egli spirato I Parenti che a lui stavano vicini; Lieti ed allegri nella stanza allato, Ballano al suon di Cetre e Violini,” which can be translated as “He who dies lies still, he who lives finds peace. The rich man dies, and as soon as he has breathed his last, the relatives who were near him, cheerful and merry in the next room, dance to the sound of zithers and violins.” This text directly guides the interpretation, emphasizing the transient nature of life and the rapid return of the living to earthly pleasures. The etching technique defines the scene with clear linear precision, reinforcing its documentary and moralizing function.

📚 Historical-artistic note
The work is part of the series “Raccolta di quaranta proverbi toscani espressi in figure,” a Florentine editorial project aimed at translating popular proverbs into visual narratives. G. Piattoli is responsible for the invention of the composition, while C. Lasinio, an established engraver active in Florence, executed the plate, demonstrating a collaborative relationship typical of late 18th-century printmaking. The publication by N. Pagni & G. Bardi reflects the cultural milieu of Enlightenment Tuscany, where imagery served both didactic and illustrative purposes, combining moral instruction with refined graphic execution.

🧾 Technical sheet
Type: antique print
Author / Maker: G. Piattoli
Designer / Engraver: C. Lasinio
Publisher / Printer: N. Pagni & G. Bardi, Florence
Place: Florence
Period: 1786
Material: paper
Technique: etching
Subject / Title: “Chi muore giace, chi vive si dà pace”
Edition: from “Raccolta di quaranta proverbi toscani espressi in figure (...)”
Dimensions: sheet 28.5 × 42.5 cm; plate 19.5 × 27.5 cm
Marks / inscriptions: title and explanatory verse engraved below the image

🔍 Condition Report
Good overall condition with occasional foxing consistent with age; paper structurally sound and impression well preserved.