Details of the Adoration of the Magi and the Pool at Bethesda

Details of the Adoration of the Magi and the Pool at Bethesda. Jean Claude Richard de Saint-Non, after Jean-Honoré Fragonard and after Sebastiano Ricci Copper engraving and aquatint, 1774. Sheet size: 21.3 x 15.3 cm. Plate mark size: 20.1 x 14.2 cm. Fine impression on watermarked laid paper. Fine inking and well-defined plate mark, small margins. Inscribed in the plate: "Sebastien Rizzi Cabinet de Smitz à Venise", "Frago del", and "Saint-Non Sc 1774". Jean-Claude Richard de Saint-Non (1727–1791), known as Abbé de Saint-Non, was a major patron of the arts, engraver, and art lover of the 18th century. Trained in printmaking, he notably learned etching and aquatint techniques and created numerous prints himself. He financially supported artists like Fragonard and Hubert Robert during their stay in Italy. He directed and financed the Voyage pittoresque de Naples et de Sicile, one of the most ambitious artistic publishing projects of his time. His work contributed to the dissemination of Italian art and the flourishing of the arts during the Enlightenment.