Memorie della Vita del glorioso patriarca San Giuseppe sposo di Maria Vergine (…)

The Swiss-born, Italian architect Giorgio Domenico Fossati was also active as a printmaker. In this capacity, he worked on the illustration of various architectural treatises, such as the writings of his predecessors Giacomo Vignola and Andrea Palladio. Less well-known are his illustrations for publications of other subjects, such as the Raccolta di Varie Favole (1744) and the Vita del glorioso S. Rocco (1750). This publication, the Memorie della Vita del glorioso patriarca San Giuseppe sposo di Maria Vergine (Memories of the Life of the glorious patriarch Saint Joseph husband of the Virgin Mary) is another example of his collaboration with the Venetian printer-publisher Carlo Pecora. Many of the publications they produced together are characterized by the experimental use of various colors in the printing process. This work is no exception. The frontispiece illustration, for instance, is printed from two plates, each in a different ink color. The central image of Joseph holding the Christ child is printed in red, while the cartouche is done in black. The images illustrating the text are each printed in a single color, but range in tone from sepia and brown, to red, green, and blue. It appears that the choice of colors varied from copy to copy, or possibly per print run.

Fossati dedicated the book to the sisters of the monastery of Santa Cecilia in Como, and it should therefore be perceived as an object meant for female catholic devotion. This is further demonstrated in this copy of the book by the addition of two pieces of ephemera. On the front flyleaf, an elaborate papercut has been pasted. It shows a soldier kneeling in front of a woman standing by a cross, inscribed with the words "Hoc Signo Vinces" (By this sign you will conquer), surrounded by various other attributes of faith. On the flyleaf at the back, a small devotional print is pasted with a depiction of the Virgin and Child with Saint John and the text "Fili Dei vivi"(Son of the living God).