"Description de la grotte de Versailles" Folio by André Félibien, 1679

Item Details

Félibien, André. Description de la Grotte de Versailles. Paris: De l’Imprimerie Royale (Sébastien Mabre-Cramoisy), 1679. First Edition. Large Folio (475 × 340 mm approx.). Text in French. Illustrated with large copperplate engravings (complete copies typically contain 20 plates, including double-page views) depicting the exterior and interior of the Grotto of Thetis, as well as detailed studies of the statuary groups (Apollo serviced by the nymphs, the horses of the Sun, etc.) by sculptors such as Girardon and Regnaudin. The plates are primarily engraved by Jean Lepautre, with others by Edelinck and Chauveau. The work serves as a monumental record of the Grotto of Thetis, a masterpiece of hydraulic engineering and Baroque sculpture built for Louis XIV in 1665 and demolished in 1684 to make way for the north wing of the Palace of Versailles. Title page features the Royal vignette.

Author/Artist: André Félibien (French, 1619–1695); Engravings largely by Jean Lepautre (1618–1682).

Historical Significance: This volume is a primary document of the ‘lost’ Versailles. The Grotto of Thetis was one of the most celebrated features of Louis XIV’s early gardens, representing the sun god Apollo resting after his daily course. Because the grotto was destroyed in 1684 (only 5 years after this book was published), this folio provides the definitive visual record of its existence.

Condition

- partially rebound with new boards and endpapers; tight binding and hinges; red rot, peeling, bowing, chips, discoloration, and wear to boards and backstrip; bumped spine and corners; page toning, chips, bookworm damage, and wear.

Dimensions

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Item #

ITMGS43292