Born in Nervesa, a little town close to Venice, Gaetano Zompini moved to the big city when was quite young to profit for his natural inclination for the arts.
Was a very gifted engraver and excellent painter - and doing frescoes too - he was rather successful with his job, and made good money, but was frequently pennyless, as he had a quite large family to support (11 children!).
Later in life a patron and friend gave him a regular job for some time.
"Le Arti che vanno per via nella citta di Venezia", Zompini's most known work, was published for the first time in 1753, and is his most notable work, done with the financial support of this patron and friend, Anton Maria Zanetti.
It is composed of a collection of 95 images - of which only 60 were printed - describing any kind of jobs as were done in Venice at the time, jobs and commerce, all possible activities.
This editorial venture partly achieved its results as it was expected, since there wasn't enough diffusion of the book to support the costs, and so the printing of the book had to be reduced in number.
There have been several reprintings of this same book, including one with English translations, done in 1797.
Gaetano Zompini died blind and in poverty in Venice on May 20, 1778, very likely of typhoid fever.
