Antiquarenbeurs Mechelen

 
 

Exhibitor

Florisatus Fine Books
Plein 19 C
2511 CS Den Haag
Netherlands

Contact

Edwin & Liesbeth Bloemsaat

Phone

+31 (0) 614 270 027 +31 (0) 614 270 027

Email

finebooks@florisatus.nl

Website

ilab.org/affiliate/florisatus-fine-books-manuscripts-musicalia

With 106 beautifully handcolored plates of Russian costumes
Breton de la Martinière, Jean-Baptiste. La Russie, ou Moeurs, usages et costumes des habitans de toutes les provinces de cet empire. Ouvrage orné de cent-onze planches, représentant plus de deux cent sujets, gravés sur les dessins originaux et d'après nature. A Paris, Nepveu, 1813. 6 volumes. 16mo (135 x 83 mm).

Engraved folding frontispiece and (17 + 14 + 23 + 15 + 23 + 20 =) 112 (of which 106 hand coloured) plates after M. Damame-Demartrait and R. Ker-Porter.

Red staight grained half morocco, simply gold tooled. Plain grey paper on the boards.
People, customs and views of Russia. The illustrations were engraved after original paintings or drawings by the French painter M.F. Damame-Demartrait and the views were after original works by the English artist Robert Ker-Porter, who visited Russia as historical painter for the Czar. The book appeared after the great fire in Moscou of 1812, but, since it was begun before, contains several architectural details that were destroyed in that fire.

The series of descriptions of countries and peoples of which this book is a part, was later imitated in England by F. Shoberl in his series The world in miniature, published by Ackermann.

The author (1777-1852) was a court stenographer and founder and editor of a legal Gazette. He also devoted books to Egypt, Spain/Portugal, China and Japan.

Although the title indicates 111 plates, the book in fact has 112. In volume I the plates Droschki and Traineau des Nobles are not called for in the index, but seem to replace the listed plate Paysan et Paysanne de Riga, which is not present. Quite a few engravings are depicting Fins, a.o. hunting bears and squirrels, but the sauna appears here as bain russe.

Other copies are known to have the same number of uncoloured plates. The later Shoberl imitation has only 72 plates.

-Literature: Brunet I, 1226; Colas 436; Graesse I, 530; Hiler 113; Lipperheide 1351; Querard I, 506.

-Condition: Bindings and edges a bit rubbed; occasionally some staining; Fine set with bright colouring.
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