Description
An inscription near the bottom identifies the designer and engraver as “Gaetano Giarrè, Master of Writing.” Giarrè had a school in Florence and designed and engraved several penmanship copybooks. This engraving is probably from Alfabeto di Lettere Iniziali Adorno di Animali, e Proseguito da Vaga Serie di Caratteri (Giacomo Moro, Florence: 1797) or Raccolta di Caratteri Inglesi, Francesi, Italiani, e Tedeschi: Con Nuovo, e Breve Metodo, per Facilmente Imitarli (1811), which Giarrè published himself.
Cerca il Saggio la Gloria.
Calca da franco il Tramite d’onore
Un generoso spirito e gentile,
E languisce sepolto in cupo orrore
Un basso Genio inonorato, e vile.
Alfabeto Maiuscolo Tedesco Stampatello
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO
PQRSTUVWXYZ
Porgi a Virtù gl’affetti
Sempre a te stesso eguale,
O tu che Gloria aspetti
Per renderti immortale.
In Search of Glory [approximate translation]
Roaming free in the midst of honor,
A generous and kind spirit,
And languishing buried in deep, dark horror,
A base and dishonorable Demon.
Printed Uppercase German Alphabet
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO
PQRSTUVWXYZ
Offer as much affection to Virtue
As to yourself,
O you who Glory awaits
To render you immortal.
Inscribed in print: Gaet’o. Giarrè Maestro di Scritto inventò dis e incise.
Condition: Generally very good, recently professionally cleaned and deacidified, nonetheless with some very light remaining toning, wear, minor soiling.