About this piece
back to topA pair of Ferdinand Ongania (1842-1911) heliographic prints from La Basilica San Marco in Venezia.
This set of framed prints were published between 1881-1893 as part of the “La Basilica di San Marco in Venezia.” Known as the ‘colossal work,’ this set of volumes meticulously catalogued sections from inside the Basilica di San Marco in Venice.
Only 500 copies were produced in period making these vivid early examples of heliographic printing a real treasure. Each print details the precision geometry of the building taken by leading Italian artists of the time.
In period, it was said the prints could be exhibited as original works, due to their accuracy. The original work contained photographs, heliotypes, heliographs, chromolitographies and engravings, with essays by the most famous scholars of the time.
We are fortunate to have one of the surviving copies of this work and more framed items available.
Ferdinando Ongania (18 July 1842 – 20-21 August 1911)
Ferdinando Ongania was a Venetian publisher and bookseller best known for publishing the monumental book La Basilica San Marco in Venezia. Ongania published more than 170 books, mainly about Venice. He was particularly significant for using the latest photographic techniques to create reproductions of great Venetian artworks. In particular, his heliographic prints were remarkable for their clarity.
