Copper engraving on two joined sheets, signed by Ottens at bottom right handside, 500x713 mm. Single state. Splendid impression, highly contrasted. The plan, derived from that of Merian, bears the title VENETIA at the top, while at the bottom the print shows two views of St. Mark's Square, on the left "Piazza de S. Marco in Venetia" seen from the lagoon, on the right "Altra parte della piazza S. Marco in Venetia" taken towards the Basilica from the Correr. In the centre are two panels with Venetian nobles and ladies. It is curious to note that the view is not topographically up-to-date: in fact, the tip of the Dogana is still in the old structure and the Salute Church is still missing. The family's business of printing and selling maps was founded by Joachim Ottens, but the active period of map publishing was concentrated between the 1720s and 1750s, when the brothers Reiner and Joshua built up a huge collection of maps, some of them as large as 15 volumes. These, including copies of virtually all maps available at the time, were beautifully coloured, prepared to order. In addition to collections prepared for special customers, they also published atlases in single volumes, with various contents, as well as pocket atlases. Bibliografia: Moretto, Venetia, le immagini della Repubblica, n. 143