“D” by Mauro Poggi

“D” by Mauro Poggi

c.1730

Hand-painted Engraving

An exceptionally elegant hand-colored engraving from Mauro Poggi’s renowned Alfabeto di lettere iniziali fluidly renders the letter D in cool slate blue and subtle earth tones. Conceived by the Florentine calligraphy master Mauro Poggi and brought to life through the fine line work of engraver Abbé Lorenzo Lorenzi around 1730, the monumental initial is fashioned from twisting, highly textured Rococo acanthus foliage. The sprawling typographic structure serves as an interactive stage for a diverse ensemble of mythological and natural figures: a half-human sea nymph anchors the left side while lifting a delicate vine of pink roses, a web-footed waterfowl gestures toward her from below, a fierce duck-like bird perches dynamically near the top loop, and a recumbent beast resembling a chimera or stylized lion rests quietly along the central crossbar. Delicate hand-painted watercolor emphasize the deep, layered geometry of the botanical scrollwork while infusing a lifelike vitality into the animated subjects, achieving an exquisite balance between typographic architecture and playful graphic fantasy. Serving both as an instructional design guide and a masterclass in imaginative book illustration, the print highlights the absolute zenith of eighteenth-century decorative engraving.

Poggi's Alfabeto di lettere iniziali is widely regarded as one of the finest and most imaginative alphabet books of the eighteenth century. Comprising twenty-four engraved initials, each letter is animated by an inventive cast of animals, mythological creatures, and human figures integrated seamlessly into sweeping Rococo forms. Although little is known about either Poggi or his engraver, Lorenzo Lorenzi, this remarkable publication secured Poggi's lasting reputation among historians of lettering and book arts. Bibliographer Bonacini described it as a "precious collection of astonishing imaginative richness," while H. Lehman Haupt, in his influential 1958 essay Human Alphabets, praised Poggi's ability to achieve "monumentality" through the graceful integration of countless decorative details into unified compositions. Extremely scarce, with only a handful of institutional copies recorded, the work represents a high point in the history of ornamental alphabets and reflects the eighteenth century's fascination with the union of calligraphy, printmaking, and decorative art.

Dimensions: H 11 ½”x 17 ½”W

Condition: Some foxing consistent with age