BARTOLI Pietro Santi

(Perugia ca. 1635 – Rome 1700)

Engraver and painter known for the vast amount of etchings on monuments and antiquities of Rome.
After a childhood spent in Villa Bartola, family house near Perugia, he moved to Rome where he studied with Nicolas Poussin.
His work as a painter did not leave traces worthy of consideration, while very important was his engraving production for both historical documentation and technical quality of the works, with more than 1200 etchings and burins.

Halfway between the large series of ancient and modern Rome prints by Antoine Lafréry (Speculum Romanae Magnificenziae) published in 1570 and the 18th century Roman Antiquities by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, he addresses the issue of ‘Magnificence of Rome’. He develops this subject with perseverance and competence for all his life, extending it to the ancient paintings, statues and columns, sepulchral lanterns, architectural ornaments, bas-reliefs, coins and gems.
Many of his engravings, such as 123 of the bas-reliefs of Trajan column, dedicated to Louis XIV and 78 of Antonina column, made epoch and were printed and reprinted several times. He also reproduced paintings and frescoes by great Italian masters including Raphael, Polidoro da Caravaggio, Carracci, Lanfranco, and Albani.

His knowledge of the ancient induced famous personalities to consult him as an art expert, such as the Pope and Queen Christina of Sweden. Yet more important has been the engraving in 55 tables of the  Figured Virgil Code of the Vatican Library.
The high regard in which he was held by experts, scholars and artists from every country brought him wealth and exceptional honors and earned him his burial in S.Lorenzo in Lucina, beside the grave of Nicolas Poussin.