Lot 08058

WORDSWORTH Christopher, “LA GRECE PITTORESQUE ET HISTORIQUE”, Paris, L. Curmer, 1841. FIRST EDITION in French, in 4ο, pp. [10],572. Complete with engraved frontispiece, title vignette, total of 28 full page steel engravings, & 366 of wood engravings in text.

An excellent classical scholar and author of numerous theological works, he visited Greece during 1832-1833 and was the first British citizen to be received by King Otto (Othon). The book is written in the authoritative style of the 17th century, but free of the pretentiousness of those erudite works in which mythology, observations on contemporary geography and demography, scholarly comments and observations made on the spot are mixed in a hazy manner. Rigorous descriptions, especially of archaeological sites, with frequent references to classical authors. For the illustrations, the author borrowed drawings from publications by H. Belle and the “Expédition Scientifique de Morée”, as well as by C.R. Cockerell, Choiseul-Gouffier, Hervé, J.Stuart/N. Revett and others.

Half leather binding, clothed boards, gilt title over spine, medium worn; marbled end papers, slight foxing and spotting inside. Ex libris labels. Overall a Very Good copy.