Marmotta di Polonia - Scattaglia / Alessandri 1775

📜 Description
Original zoological etching by P. Scattaglia and I. Alessandri, published in Venice by C. Palese between 1771 and 1775, depicting the “Marmotta di Polonia”. The plate comes from “Animali quadrupedi dal naturale dissegnati, incisi e miniati (...)”, a Venetian natural-history publication devoted to the visual documentation of quadrupeds. The image has a scientific and documentary function, presenting the animal in an isolated composition that emphasizes posture, anatomy, fur texture, and identifying features. The marmot is placed at the center of the plate against a neutral background, according to an essential classificatory structure typical of eighteenth-century zoological illustration. The engraved title “Marmotta di Polonia” identifies the subject and guides the reading of the image within the encyclopedic tradition of Enlightenment natural history. This antique print is a representative example of Venetian zoological engraving, combining descriptive precision, educational purpose, and collectible interest.

📚 Historical-Artistic Note
“Animali quadrupedi dal naturale dissegnati, incisi e miniati (...)” belongs to the eighteenth-century tradition of illustrated natural-history works, in which engraved plates served both scientific and didactic purposes. P. Scattaglia and I. Alessandri worked within the Venetian publishing context of the 1770s, producing animal images intended for scholars, collectors, and cabinets of natural history. The edition published by C. Palese in Venice reflects the growing interest in the classification and visual study of the natural world during the Enlightenment period.

🧾 Technical Sheet
Type: original zoological etching
Author / Workshop: P. Scattaglia / I. Alessandri
Publisher / Printer: C. Palese, Venice
Place: Venice
Period: 1771-1775
Material: paper
Technique: etching
Subject / Title: “Marmotta di Polonia”
Dimensions: sheet 34.5 cm x 47 cm; plate 27 cm x 36 cm
Marks / Signatures / Inscriptions: engraved title “Marmotta di Polonia”
Notes: from “Animali quadrupedi dal naturale dissegnati, incisi e miniati (...)”; blank verso

🔍 Condition Report
Etching in excellent overall condition. Sporadic foxing consistent with age. Image well preserved, with clear and readable engraved details. Blank verso.