1797 Manuscript View of Genoa, Italy

An exceptional one-of-a-kind c. 1797 pen and ink view of Genoa, Italy. The finely executed drawing looks on the port of Genoa from the southeast - as a ship approaching the city would see it. The iconic 1543 lighthouse of Genoa, known as the Lanterna, appears prominently at left, while at right, the Jesuit church of Santi Ambrogio e Andrea is apparent. Several ships bearing a Dutch flag, lie anchored in the harbor.

Dedication to Pieter Baron Melvill van Carnbee

The view has been dedicated to Pieter baron Melvill van Carnbee (1743-1826), whose coat of arms is depicted in the lower margin. Melvill van Carnbee was a Dutch naval officer, who rose to the rank of vice admiral. Pieter baron Melvill van Carnbee's grandson Pieter Melvill van Carnbee (1816-1856) was a notable geographer active in the East India Company and known for his maps of the East Indies.

Publication History and Census

As a manuscript this is one of a kind. We dated the items based upon content, style of ships, and paper, which si watermarked 'I VILLEDARY', referring to the French-Ductch papermaking firm of Jean Villedary (1668-1758).