Illustrations from an Italian book of proverbs made by the engraver and painter Giuseppe Maria Mitelli (1634–1718). The son of painter Agostino Mitelli (1609-1660), the younger Mitelli recreated paintings by famous artists and was also a prolific engraver whose work ranged from satirical to everyday scenes. The book, originally made in 1678, seems to have been a gift for Francesco Maria de' Medici, the Governor of Siena in Tuscany, while this edition from 1718 includes texts in both Italian and German.