14. Brusco, Giacomo.
DESCRIPTION / DES BEAUTÉS / DE GENES / ET DE SES ENVIRONS
/ Ornée de differentes Vuës, / de tailles douce, et de la Carte /
Topographique de la Ville. / A GENES MDCCLXXXI / CHEZ YVES
GRAVIER / Libraire sous la Loge des Banquie.
12mo. Engraved, folding map; title page (1 leaf); preface (1-2); text,
with 20 engraved plates, of which 17 are folding, inserted (3-138); index
(139-42); list of plates (1 unnumbered p.).
Fifteen of the folding plates are surprisingly vigorous views of Genoa
engraved by Guidotti (see Plate VI), and the other two are maps. The
three single-page plates, presumably by another hand, are of Genoese
costumes and are more hackneyed than the plates of views. One of the
maps is labeled in Italian.
Practically nothing is known of Giacomo Brusco. He wrote this
handsome guide with its interesting views of the city and its buildings
because "le grand nombre de Morceaux de peinture, de sculpture, &
d'architecture, que j'ai vus dans cette superbe Ville, & qui ne sont pas
assez connus, m'a fait naître l'idée d'en dresser un mémoire, que je crois
devoir rendre public" (p. 1).
Although Jefferson visited Genoa during April 1787, the date of his
purchase of this book is not known. His copy was sold to Congress. It
was not ordered for the University. The library's present copy is the
gift of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation.
M
Sowerby 3910
*DG632.B7.1781
