Die Episteme der Linie. Pietro Sante Bartolis Reduktion farbiger Wandmalerei in seinen Druckgraphiken und der disegno der Alten.

Abstract

The murals of a tomb discovered in Rome in 1674 and interpreted by Giovan Pietro Bellori as belonging to the Nasoni family caused a media sensation, not least because of their intense colours. Two draughtsmen, including Pietro Sante Bartoli, were immediately commissioned to document the paintings in situ. This article examines Pietro Sante Bartoli and Giovan Pietro Bellori's understanding of faithful representation. While Bartoli amended and improved the original state of the painting in his watercolours (for Camillo Massimo) and copperplate engravings in order to create a uniform ensemble, Bellori distinguishes between the original conception and execution in his comments. Referring to the theory of disegno, he wanted Bartoli's series of copperplate engravings to be understood as a document of the original conception of the painting.