STUART James & REVETT Nicholas, “Les Antiquités d’Athènes, mesurées et dessinées par J. Stuart and N. Revett, peintres et architectes. Ouvrage traduit de l’Anglais, par L.F.F.…”, Paris: Firmin Didot, 1808, 1810, 1812 & Bance aine, 1822.

COMPLETE in Four (4) Folio Volumes, including in total 191 impressive copper plates. First edition published in France, translated by Laurent Francois Feuillet.

The British architect and painter James Stuart and the British architect and designer Nicholas Revett arrived in Greece in the spring of 1751, undertaking for the first time the challenging task to accurate describe the antiquities of Athens. Their task gained the fervent support of the Society of Dilettanti in Rome, which financed the mission. For more than 2 years, they worked mainly in Athens and Attica, but also visited Corinth, Thessaloniki and Delphi, measuring the monuments and preparing detailed drawings "in situ".

The work was a landmark in European classicism including numerous drawings, with depictions, plans, sections and details of ancient monuments and architectural members, accompanied by explanatory texts, archaeological comments and travel impressions, inaugurated a new era, in which meticulous measurement replaced the generic and often imaginary representation of ancient monuments (Ioli Vingopoulou, www.travelogues.gr).

Contemporary binding. Uniform for Vols. 1, 2 & 4: Half green leather with titles on spine. Half red leather for Vol.3 with title & decorations in gilt on spine. External rubbed. Spotting throughout, few sheets teared.

Rarely found complete.  

Contominas 708, Not in Blackmer