‎"[EHRENSVÄRD, CARL AUGUST].‎
‎Resa til Italien, 1780, 1781, 1782. Skrifven 1782 i Stralsund. Ny Upplaga.‎

‎Stockholm, Tryckt Hos Carl Deleen, 1819. Clean and well-preserved copy bound in contemporary half calf with gilt and blind tooled decorations on spine. Old name on title-page. An exceptionally fine copy. (4), 84 pp. + 38 handcoloured plates. ‎

Reference : 62031

‎A wonderful copy of the second illustrated (fourth overall) edition of what is considered the most beautiful Swedish book of the 18th century, which is exceedingly difficult to find in as excellent state as here, the first and second editions being equally fine. ""The book consists of notes by Admiral Count Ehrensvärd, critic and antiquarian, on his visit to Italy, with plates engraved after his own drawings. Ehrensvärd's route ran from Stralsund via Paris, Milan, Terracina and Rome to Sicily, and from Sicily via Montecassino, Bologna, Milan, Venice and Vienna to Stralsund. Ehrensvärd declares at the outset that his descriptions would be too short - had not others' been too long. But, though he pointedly avoids eulogizing famous sites, he takes a less unconventional stance in continually idealising southern over northern peoples, on the grounds of their resemblance to the supposed physical and cultural character of the ancients. He concludes with an account of some monuments at Rome and Naples - approving the ancient Romans for their good taste.Most plates show landscapes or local people, and are related to passages in the text where the author declares their dress, hairstyles and general bearing to recall those of the ancient world. They are simple outline etchings, possibly intended to be coloured subsequently (all have been coloured by hand in the Royal Academy's copy).The engraver, Elias Martin, had been drawing-master to Count Ehrensvärd. Between 1768 and 1780 and again between 1788 and 1791 he lived in Britain, a friend of William Chambers, who had been born in Sweden, was a Swedish speaker and throughout his life maintained links with Swedish artists and patrons. Martin became a student at the Royal Academy in 1769, and an Associate in 1771. Influenced by Richard Wilson and Paul Sandby, he became a well-known landscape-painter both in Britain and in Sweden."" (RA) The plates carry no engraved signatures. But in the Royal Academy's copy the first plate (facing p.3) has been inscribed in ink, 'Count Ehrenswärd invt.' bottom left and 'E. Martin. the Associate, sculpt.' bottom right"" and the remainder, 'A.E.' bottom left and 'E.M.' bottom right (with page and line references to the text). ""The question of who made the etchings is open to different opinions. The brothers Elias and Johan Fredrik Martin, both important artists, have been mentioned as Mårten Rudolf Heland."" (Lindberg). Most of the original drawings are preserved in the Royal Academy of Arts, Stockholm, and in the Swedish National Museum. Lindberg, Swedish Books, 52 (first edition, 1786). Kleberg, Italien i svensk litteratur 2226. Hofberg, Sv. biogr. handlex. I, 279. NBG XV, 750.‎