MELLING (Ignace Antoine) CERVINI de MACERATA (J.A.) - Lot 449

MELLING (Ignace Antoine) CERVINI de MACERATA (J.A.) Voyages Pittoresques dans les Pyrénées Françaises et dans les Départements Adjacents ou Collection de 72 gravures... avec un texte... par J.A. CERVINI. Paris, l'auteur, Treuttel et Wurtz, 1826-1830. Large oblong folio: 3f. (plan of the work), 160pp. 1f. (table); frontispiece portrait by VIGNERON, lithographed by BINETEAU, a map engraved by TARDIEU dated 1830, 72 plates hors texte engraved in aquatint after MELLING by PIRINGER, SALATHE. Usual foxing on text leaves. Some skilful restoration of old small paper tears, ½ red contemporary chagrin, ornate spine, gilt title on red percaline boards. A sumptuous publication of exceptional format (and weight) here in a fine copy. A reprint was published by Lafitte in Marseille in 1977. This album uses an intaglio technique widely used in England and France in the late 18th century: aquatint. MELLING's pencil is criticized for its Germanic stiffness, but the documentary aspect is of great interest, and all the landscapes are enlivened by an animated scene in the foreground (Labarère 1035)(Barbe 630)(M. Gaston 279-280).