Diving man
Date
1794
Creator
Giuseppe Azzerboni (1750 - 1799, Italian) , Engraver
After
Francesco Antonio Lapegna (1769, Italian) , Painter
Object type
Library reference
27806
Material
Technique
Dimensions
height (print): 195mm
width (print): 289mm
width (print): 289mm
Description
Figure of a classically styled near-nude man shown diving backwards into the sea from a rock, with his right arm outstretched. The background landscape appears to show the Bay of Naples in Italy, with the volcano Vesuvius.
Plate 15 from L'uomo galleggiante, o sia l'arte ragionata del nuoto; scoperta fisica [‘The floating man, or the reasoned art of swimming…], by Oronzio de’ Bernardi (Naples, 1794), pp.120/121. The plate is inscribed: ‘Tav.XV.’ Below: ‘Franc. Lapegna disegno’ dal Naturale. Gius. Azzerboni sculp.’
The illustration is intended to be instructional, in Bernardi’s manual of swimming practice. It accompanies lesson 15 on swimming in the book: ‘Regole sulle maniere varie di gittarsi nell' acqua da sul rialto degli scogli, o da sul bordo de' navigli’ [Rules on the various ways of throwing oneself into the water from rocks, or from the edge of the canals]. The print appears in a section advising on diving ‘Altezza della caduta palmi due in circa: profondita dell' acqua quarto palmi in circa’ [Height of the fall approximately two palms: depth of water approximately four palms].
Oronzio de’ Bernardi (1620-1707), Italian priest and author of a manual of swimming. Bernardi was not a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Plate 15 from L'uomo galleggiante, o sia l'arte ragionata del nuoto; scoperta fisica [‘The floating man, or the reasoned art of swimming…], by Oronzio de’ Bernardi (Naples, 1794), pp.120/121. The plate is inscribed: ‘Tav.XV.’ Below: ‘Franc. Lapegna disegno’ dal Naturale. Gius. Azzerboni sculp.’
The illustration is intended to be instructional, in Bernardi’s manual of swimming practice. It accompanies lesson 15 on swimming in the book: ‘Regole sulle maniere varie di gittarsi nell' acqua da sul rialto degli scogli, o da sul bordo de' navigli’ [Rules on the various ways of throwing oneself into the water from rocks, or from the edge of the canals]. The print appears in a section advising on diving ‘Altezza della caduta palmi due in circa: profondita dell' acqua quarto palmi in circa’ [Height of the fall approximately two palms: depth of water approximately four palms].
Oronzio de’ Bernardi (1620-1707), Italian priest and author of a manual of swimming. Bernardi was not a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Associated place