MyI Comments and Tips
A Paoletti Sampler
The Paoletti’s are primarily known for the plaster impressions of engraved gems that were purchased by tourists in Rome in the last part of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century. The impressions were sold either singly, in book-like sets (front and rear covers opened to reveal impressions “inside” the book), and in larger sets of wooden stacked trays.
These impressions in the Beazley Archive are contained in two wooden boxes, No’s 35 and 55, consisting of 5 and 6 trays respectively. Each set had its original catalogue listing intact. They are a small sampling of the over 7,000 impression molds contained in the Paoletti collection.
At the left is an advertisement that Paoletti had placed in the tourist publication, ““Walks through the Studii of the Sculptors of Rome…” by Hawks Le Grice 1841.
La Collezione Paoletti
An ambitious project was undertaken in 1976 to catalog the entire Paoletti collection with each impression having an in-depth identification with photographs of both the mold and the impression. The effort was led by Lucia Pirzio Biroli Stefanelli. Two volumes have been published to date, “La collezione Paoletti. Stampi in vetro per impronte di intagli e cammei” (“The Paoletti collection, Glass molds for carvings and cameos”) Vols I (2007) & II (2016). A third volume is planned to be published in October 2022. The books are available from various sources online. They are in Italian only. Further information can be found on this website at
OVERVIEW
• A collection of about 420 plaster impressions made by Barolommeo Paoletti (1757-1834) and his son Pietro (1785-1844/5).
• Paoletti was active making and selling plaster impressions from about 1790 with the height of sales being 1820-1840.
• Paoletti plaster impressions were taken from both ancient engraved gems and (mostly) from “modern” engraved gems depicting classical mythology and art, and contemporary personages.
• In the 1840’s the business had over 7,000 molds.
Topical sets of varying size, some taking the form of books and some in stacked wooden box trays were prepared and sold in Rome.
WHAT’S IN THE PACKAGE?
Two sets of impressions by Paoletti circa 1821-1834 (based on the Spagna No. 49 address)
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- First set is, “Box 35. Nest of 5 wooden trays (120 casts), Paoletti, numbered, mounted white plaster gems almost entirely modern (neo-classical subjects) mostly reproducing ancient sculptures but incl. Canova & Thorvaldsen…” *
- “120 plaster impressions taken from engraved gems chosen from the collection of Bartolommeo Paoletti and Pietro, his son (from 3000+ subjects)”
- Second set is, “Box 55. …larger & more carefully described selection than 35. Nest of 6 wood trays+ lid (300 casts) numbered, mounted modern gems (neo-class.) subjects arranged by museums/collections of ancient statuary, also Canova & Thorvaldsen.” *
- “302 plaster impressions representing the copies of the first class of statues, existing in the Museums of Europe, extracted from the collection of Bartalomeo Paoletti, and Pietro Son, containing 3000 and more subjects.”
- First set is, “Box 35. Nest of 5 wooden trays (120 casts), Paoletti, numbered, mounted white plaster gems almost entirely modern (neo-classical subjects) mostly reproducing ancient sculptures but incl. Canova & Thorvaldsen…” *
To the right is an image of a typical Paoletti “book” set of impressions from a little later time period than the Beazley Archive sets in this narrative.
COMMENTS AND TIPS ON USE:
- Some of the images of trays do not correspond to the catalog order. (See the tables below).
- The text and impression locations (numbering) in the tray images of Set 1 correlate fairly well (see below).
- The text and impression locations (numbering) in the tray images of Set 2 do not correlate very well at all.
- It’s suggested that the tables located below be used when trying to match a description to a specific numbered impression.
SET 1
Description by Beazley Archive: “Box 35
MS catalogue – ‘Estratte da gemme incise scelte dalla collezione di Bartolommeo Paoletti e Pietro figlio’ (from 3000+ soggetti) address Pa. di Spagna 49
“Nest of 5 wooden trays (120 casts), Paoletti, numbered, mounted white plaster gems almost entirely modern (neo-classical subjects) mostly reproducing ancient sculptures but incl. Canova & Thorvaldsen on lid indecipherable MS, owner’s name/address?”
Title sheet from the Beazley Archive Paoletti Impressions Box 35:
“Catalogo de numero 120 Impronte in Stucco estratte da gemme incise scelte dalla Collezione de Bartolomeo Paoletti, e Pietro figlio, contenen te 3000, e piu Sogetti”
[MyI/Google translation: “Catalog of the number 120 Stucco Imprints extracted from engraved gems chosen from the Collection of Bartolomeo Paoletti, and Pietro son, containing 3000, and more Subjects”]
*Note that in Trays 3 and 4 there is a transposition of impression assigned number vs location number in the tray for some impressions.
1-35 locations on tray 1 match text 1-35 descriptions.
36-66 locations on tray 2 match text 36-66 descriptions.
In tray 3 Text has nos. 67 (desc of first imp) to 85 (desc of last imp), a total of 19 items, while there are actually 20 impressions in the tray. The one that seems to be missing in the text descriptions is the second Ballerina, which is in the tray location that should be 76.
In tray 4 there are 20 impressions starting with Canova in upper left which is no. 86 in the text list, but would be 87 based on impression location, total to that point. The last impression on tray 4, no 106, is the same in the tray as on the text list – there are 21 list items for this tray while only 20 locations.
It’s up to the user to figure out where the switch(es) occur. HINT: No. 95 “Ercole, e lica nel Palozzo Turlonia” (“Hercules with Lichas in the Torlonia Palace”) text list number matches location number.
SET 2
Description by Beazley Archive: “Box 55
MS catalogue, Bart. Paoletti e Pietro figlio, Piazza di Spagna 49 – larger & more carefully described selection than 35. Nest of 6 wood trays+ lid (lid does not fit – from different box) (300 casts) numbered, mounted modern gems (neo-class.) subjects arranged by museums/collections of ancient statuary, also Canova & Thorvaldsen”
Title sheet from the Beazley Archive Paoletti Impressions Box 55:
“Di numero 302 Impronte in Stucco, rappresentanti le copie delle prie insigni Statue, eseitenti nelli Mosei de Europa, estratte dalla Collezione de Bartolomeo Paoletti, e Pietro Figlio contenente 3000, e piu Soggetti
[MyI/Google translation: “Number 302 Stucco Imprints, representing copies of the most famous Statues, existing in the Museums of Europe, extracted from the Bartolomeo Paoletti Collection, and Pietro Son containing 3000, and more Subjects”]
The description in the Beazley Archives states that there is a nest of 6 trays, however there are images for 7 trays – Tray 1 is a repeat of the first tray in Set 1 (Box 35)
The order of trays does not match the order (and impression numbering) of the text list. Also, some of the sections and their associated impression numbers do not flow in tray order, for example the section entitled “Moseo Sommariva” starts at the bottom of Tray 4 and continues at the top of Tray 3.
