Varia Marci Ricci Pictoris prestantissimi Experimenta

Marco Ricci was born in Belluno in 1676. He was the nephew of the famous Venetian painter Sebastiano Ricci (1659-1734) and started working with his uncle as an apprentice until he was forced to leave Venice after having killed a gondoliere in a quarrel in a tavern. He fled to Dalmatia where he found work with a local landscape painter, but was able to return to Venice and to his uncle's workshop after four years. Amongst their collaboration are the decorations of the Palazzo Marucelli in Florence.
In the autumn of 1708, the opportunity arose to work as a stage designer in England with Gianantonio Pellegrini . He returned to Italy in 1710 but only two years left once again for London, this time with his uncle Sebastiano. In 1716 went back to Italy for good and in 1723 began to explore the art of printmaking, an interest he would maintain until his death in 1929. During these last six years of he created a small but highly accomplished oeuvre of twenty landscapes etchings inspired by the scenery of the terra ferma. A year after his death, in 1730, the all twenty prints were published for the first time by Carlo Orsolini in Venice. The present lot is a rare complete set from this first edition, with sparkling impressions and beautifully preserved sheets.