Voyage Pittoresque de la Grece.Tome Premier

Folio, 52x 33 cms, [IV including engraved title and frontispiece] , XII,204 pgs, and 126 plates on 100 leaves by Berthaut,Choffard,Delignon,and others after Choiseul Gouffier,Hilaire and Moreau.
FIRST EDITION, third issue (" O Utinam " at verso of XII of preliminaries).FIRST VOLUME ONLY
Fine french original red morocco binding with rectangular device on boards with interlaced leaves design,Spine gilt in compartments with raised bands, compartments with classic vase enclosed in a rhomboidal and acanthus design.Title in gilt. Edges and innner dentelles richly gilt.
Samll scuff on lower part of front cover,raised bands and upper right corner slightly bumped; back cover very light scuffed.
Internally a fine copy printed in strong paper with edges gilt and very light foxing in some pages.

A very handsome and clean copy of this seminal book on the archeology of Greece, it´s islands and Asia Minor.Based on Choiseul Gouffier´s own account of his travel in 1776 as member of marquis de Chabert´s expedition for mapping the Eastern Mediterranean. Choiseul Gouffier was appointed french ambassador at Constantinople as a result of the success of his first volume. After the french revolution, he fled to Russia in 1792 and stayed there until 1802 when he returned to France.He started upon arrival the completion of his second volume that was published in 1809. The second part of the volume was finally completed by Barbie du Bocage and ultimately published in 1822 due to the passing of the author in 1817. This work was the french counterpoint to the Stuart and Revett magnificent work on the antiquities of Athens. Choiseul Gouffier paid keen attention to the study and design of temples, remains of the Ionian región, the islands etc. His ethnographical interests are represented in the many plates of greek and turkish costumes(dancing,daily life etc). A fine and attractive copy. Atabey 241,Blackmer 342,Cohen de Ricci 238,Weber II,57