Offered here is a rare matched set of six authentic 18th-century engravings from Gaetano Zompini’s celebrated series Le Arti di Venezia (The Trades of Venice), published in Venice in 1753.

These engravings depict everyday Venetian street trades, rendered with Zompini’s signature precision and charm, and are among the most historically important views of Venetian life in the mid-1700s.

Each engraving features:

• Original copperplate impression with deeply visible plate marks

• Hand-applied watercolor, typical of 18th-century Venetian coloring

• Original numbering (“38”, “46”, etc.) in the correct period engraver’s hand

• Printed Italian verses describing each trade

• Authentic laid rag paper with visible fiber structure and natural aging

This set has remained together for decades, preserved in mid-century Baker Furniture Inc. frames—known for using only genuine antique artwork in their high-end interior collections.

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🧵 Details & Attributes

• Artist: Gaetano Zompini (1700–1778)

• Title: Le Arti di Venezia – Set of 6 plates

• Date: 1753 (first edition)

• Technique: Copperplate etching with hand coloring

• Paper: 18th-century laid rag paper (waterleaf)

• Dimensions (approx.):

• Plate area: ~8.5 x 11.5 in

• Frame size: ~14 x 20 in

• Publisher: Venice, 1753

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🔍 Authenticity Indicators (Verified)

These engravings show all hallmarks of true 18th-century impressions, including:

✔ Deep intaglio plate impression visible front and back

✔ Rag fiber paper consistent with 1700s Venetian mills

✔ Watercolor pigments soaked into paper, not printed dots

✔ Slight paper toning, foxing, and oxidation normal for age

✔ Correct numerical plate marks in period style

✔ Hand-inked outlines showing plate pressure variation

Not modern prints • Not restrikes • Not chromolithographs.

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📦 Provenance

An estate set originally framed by:

Baker Furniture, Inc. — Label Nos. X12676, X12678

Baker was well-known for framing authentic antique European works for luxury interiors from the 1940s–1970s.

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🖼️ Condition

• Engravings show expected age toning, small fox marks, and light water staining consistent with 250-year-old paper.

• Frames are vintage mid-century wood frames with age wear.

• Plates remain sharp, crisp, and richly colored.

• No tears through the image; no modern restoration.

Overall, a very strong and display-worthy set.