Libro d’Arabeschi

Pages from the Libro d’Arabeschi compiled by Sebastiano Resta (b. Milan 1635 – d. Rome 1714)



Francesco Salviati (Firenze 1513 – 1563)
Studio di calice /Study of a Chalice
Black pencil and pen, brown wash on light brown paper, squared off and pen on the left
mm. 327×182
From Libro d’Arabeschi, Palermo compiled by Sebastiano Resta (b. Milan 1635 – d. Rome 1714)




Etienne Du Pérac (1520 ca. – 1604?)
Roman Forum with the Campidoglio
Pen, dark metal on washed,
mm. 242×392
From Libro d’Arabeschi, Palermo compiled by Sebastiano Resta (b. Milan 1635 – d. Rome 1714)



Federico Zuccari (Sant’Angelo in Vado 1540/1541 – Ancona 1609)
View of the palazzo del Podestà ad Orvieto
Black and red pencil on white paper
mm. 247×355
From Libro d’Arabeschi, Palermo compiled by Sebastiano Resta (b. Milan 1635 – d. Rome 1714)

It was probably not by accident that Father Sebastiano Resta (b. Milan 1635 – d. Rome 1714)became involved in the collection of art works. (see post below)

He was born into a noble Milanese family in 1635. His father Filippo was a painter of some reputation.

He graduated in philosophy from the University of Milan and then earned further degrees in both canon and civil law from the University of Pavia, where he served as a professor

In Rome he developed friendly relationships with many artists, notably Carlo Maratti.

In 1999, his Libro d’Arabeschi was rediscovered in the Biblioteca Comunale di Palermo, a collection that he had assembled in the 1600s and given to Giuseppe del Voglia: 292 drawings and 15 prints that provide an illustrated history of the arts of ornamentation and decoration in Italy from the late 1400s to the 1600s.