Exposición - Bibliotheca artis - Architectures and perspectives ...
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The largest book in the exhibition is this beautiful folio-size
volume of Giuseppe Galli Bibiena’s treatise known in English as Architectural and Perspectival Designs
Bibiena belonged to a dynasty of architects and set designers
who were regularly employed by the Habsburg court at Vienna.
This volume is probably one of the most beautiful and important consequences
of the Bibiena family’s work for the Viennese court.
It is essentially a repertoire of images of large perspectival scenes, theatrical stages and projects for tabernacles.
The book’s frontispiece depicts a young woman who represents Architecture
led by Truth towards the model of Classical Architecture,
represented on this occasion by the Temple of Vesta at Tivoli.
The present exhibition includes this splendid print,
shown alongside a small painting by Panini from the Prado’s own collection.
The painting also has a circular temple, probably the Temple of Vesta at Rome rather than Tivoli.
The comparison is interesting as Bibiena and Panini were fellow pupils
at Bibiena’s father’s academy.
