“N” by Mauro Poggi

“N” by Mauro Poggi

c.1730

Hand-painted Engraving

An exquisite engraved plate from Mauro Poggi's celebrated Alfabeto di lettere iniziali, this richly ornamented design transforms the letter N into an elaborate Rococo initial. Executed by the Florentine calligrapher and designer Mauro Poggi and engraved by the Abbé Lorenzo Lorenzi around 1730, the monumental letter is formed from scrolling acanthus ornament inhabited by playful putti, a fantastical sea creature, and a bird enclosed within an ornamental cartouche. Delicate hand-coloring accentuates the sculptural quality of the gilt-like scrollwork and enlivens the imaginative figures, creating a dynamic interplay between typography, illustration, and decorative design. Both a functional alphabet model and an exuberant work of graphic invention, the plate exemplifies the virtuosity of eighteenth-century ornamental 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: Slight perforation on right, tape on back