RAOUL-ROCHETTE Désiré, “Monumens Inédits dAntiquité Figurée, Grecque, Étrusque et Romaine”, Part I [all published], Paris, Imprimerie Royale, 1833. Grand folio (55x37cm), pp. viii, 430. FIRST and ONLY EDITION of an ambitious and comprehensive study of the iconography of the myths of Achilles, Orestes and Odysseus, by the French archaeologist Desire Raoul Rochette, Professor of history at Sorbonne, Secretary of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, Curator of the Bibliothèque Royale and author of several works on Greek antiquities. Many well-known antiquities from famous collections such as the collections of Edmé-Antoine Durand, of Comte de Pourtalès-Gorgier and of Thomas Hope are presented and discussed thoroughly. The author has discovered those “unpublished” antiquities in a travel to Italy, undertaken in 1826-1827. Many of these artifacts can be now traced to permanent collections, in Brussels, Cambridge, London, Naples, New York, and Paris. COMPLETE, including 93 numbered plates, of which five are coloured and five folding, and 15 numbered engraved vignettes (mainly chapter ornaments and tail-pieces) of which one hand-coloured aquatint. It is an exceptionally illustrated example of the early nineteenth century, effectively combining different illustrative techniques such as engravings, lithographs, and aquatints. Contemporary binding, spine in red leather with raised bands and title in gilt, marbled boards. Although complete, the plates are not bound in the book according to the index. Brown spotting throughout inside. External edge-wear & rubbing, bumped corners and spots – one on spine, cracks along joints with restoration along front joint. Brunet IV, 1106 (mentions only 80 plates).