Antonio Maria Zanetti
Encyclopedia
Count Anton[io] Maria Zanetti (1679–1767) was a Venetian artist and art critic, an engraver and connoisseur, and a collector of engraved gems both Greco-Roman and modern, which he published lavishly, in the form of A.F. Gori
's Le gemme antiche di Anton Maria Zanetti (1750), illustrated with eighty plates of engravings from his own drawings; the drawings for the engravings, and many of his intaglios and cameos are conserved in the Museo Correr
, Venice. His prize piece, a black cameo of Hadrian's favourite, Antinous
, which he had pursued for years before acquiring it, was bought by George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough
and gained the sobriquet of the "Marlborough gem
".
Zanetti spent his early manhood making wise investments in marine insurance, accumulating sufficient capital to support his true vocation, as writer and artist, and as art dealer to the English aristocrats who passed through Venice on the Grand Tour
, and as paintings agent for Philippe d'Orléans
in forming the Orléans collection
, Paris, and Joseph Wenzel I, Prince of Liechtenstein, in expanding the Liechtenstein collection
, Vienna. Pierre Crozat
, being in Venice in 1715, persuaded Zanetti and his protégé Rosalba Carriera
to come to Paris. Zanetti also visited London, where he purchased Jan Petersen Zoomer's three large volumes containing 428 Rembrandt etchings in outstanding impressions of the various states.
As a printmaker, Zanetti advanced the art of the Chiaroscuro woodcut, producing many prints after paintings by Parmigianino
, Tintoretto
and others.
The son of his cousin, Anton[io] Maria the younger (1706–1778), was a protégé of the elder Zanetti who developed into a distinguished critic; he collaborated with his elder cousin, providing most of the drawings for a sumptuously illustrated account of the classical sculpture conserved in Venetian public collections, Delle antiche statue greche e romane che nell'anti sala della Libreria di San Marco e in altri luoghi pubblici venezi son trovato, I, Venice, 1740, II, Venice, 1743. Their collaborator for the text was Gori.
The modern monograph on the two Zanettis is Fabio Borroni, I Due Anton Maria Zanetti (Florence, 1956).
Zanetti described some manuscripts housed at the Biblioteca Marciana
, among them Gr. Z. 495 (1048)
.
Antonio Francesco Gori
Antonio Francesco Gori, on his titlepages Franciscus Gorius was a Florentine antiquarian, a priest in minor orders, provost of the Baptistery of San Giovanni from 1746, and a professor at the Liceo, whose numerous publications of ancient Roman sculpture and antiquities formed part of the repertory...
's Le gemme antiche di Anton Maria Zanetti (1750), illustrated with eighty plates of engravings from his own drawings; the drawings for the engravings, and many of his intaglios and cameos are conserved in the Museo Correr
Museo Correr
The Museo Correr is the civic museum of Venice, located in the Piazza San Marco, and is entered by the ceremonial stairway in the Ala Napoleonica at the western end of the Piazza opposite the church of San Marco at the other end...
, Venice. His prize piece, a black cameo of Hadrian's favourite, Antinous
Antinous
Antinoüs or Antinoös was a beautiful Bithynian youth and the favourite of the Roman emperor Hadrian...
, which he had pursued for years before acquiring it, was bought by George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough
George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough
George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough KG, PC, FRS , styled Marquess of Blandford until 1758, was a British courtier and politician...
and gained the sobriquet of the "Marlborough gem
Marlborough gem
The "Marlborough gem" is a carved onyx cameo that depicts an initiation ceremony of Psyche and Eros. It is the most famous engraved gem in the extensive and prominent collection both inherited and expanded by George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough...
".
Zanetti spent his early manhood making wise investments in marine insurance, accumulating sufficient capital to support his true vocation, as writer and artist, and as art dealer to the English aristocrats who passed through Venice on the Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
, and as paintings agent for Philippe d'Orléans
Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Philippe d'Orléans was a member of the royal family of France and served as Regent of the Kingdom from 1715 to 1723. Born at his father's palace at Saint-Cloud, he was known from birth under the title of Duke of Chartres...
in forming the Orléans collection
Orleans Collection
The Orleans Collection was a very important collection of over 500 paintings formed by the French prince of the blood Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans, mostly acquired between about 1700 and his death in 1723...
, Paris, and Joseph Wenzel I, Prince of Liechtenstein, in expanding the Liechtenstein collection
Liechtenstein Museum
The Liechtenstein Museum is in Vienna, Austria, named after the princely House of Liechtenstein, one of Europe's oldest noble families. The museum includes the Princely Collections containing important European works of art, forming one of the world's leading private art collections.The museum has...
, Vienna. Pierre Crozat
Pierre Crozat
thumb|265px|[[Rembrandt]]'s painting [[Danaë |Danae]] from Crozat's collection.Pierre Crozat was a French art collector at the center of a broad circle of cognoscenti; he was the brother of Antoine Crozat....
, being in Venice in 1715, persuaded Zanetti and his protégé Rosalba Carriera
Rosalba Carriera
Rosalba Carriera was a Venetian Rococo painter. In her younger years, she specialized in portrait miniatures...
to come to Paris. Zanetti also visited London, where he purchased Jan Petersen Zoomer's three large volumes containing 428 Rembrandt etchings in outstanding impressions of the various states.
As a printmaker, Zanetti advanced the art of the Chiaroscuro woodcut, producing many prints after paintings by Parmigianino
Parmigianino
Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola , also known as Francesco Mazzola or more commonly as Parmigianino or sometimes "Parmigiano", was an Italian Mannerist painter and printmaker active in Florence, Rome, Bologna, and his native city of Parma...
, Tintoretto
Tintoretto
Tintoretto , real name Jacopo Comin, was a Venetian painter and a notable exponent of the Renaissance school. For his phenomenal energy in painting he was termed Il Furioso...
and others.
The son of his cousin, Anton[io] Maria the younger (1706–1778), was a protégé of the elder Zanetti who developed into a distinguished critic; he collaborated with his elder cousin, providing most of the drawings for a sumptuously illustrated account of the classical sculpture conserved in Venetian public collections, Delle antiche statue greche e romane che nell'anti sala della Libreria di San Marco e in altri luoghi pubblici venezi son trovato, I, Venice, 1740, II, Venice, 1743. Their collaborator for the text was Gori.
The modern monograph on the two Zanettis is Fabio Borroni, I Due Anton Maria Zanetti (Florence, 1956).
Zanetti described some manuscripts housed at the Biblioteca Marciana
Biblioteca Marciana
The Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana is a library and Renaissance building in Venice, northern Italy; it is one of the earliest surviving public manuscript depositories in the country, holding one of the greatest classical texts collections in the world. The library is named after St. Mark, the...
, among them Gr. Z. 495 (1048)
Minuscule 599
Minuscule 599 , A599 , is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, on paper. Palaeographically it has been assigned to the 15th century. The manuscript has complex contents. It was labelled by Scrivener as 467.It has marginalia.- Description :The codex contains the text of the four...
.