Librairie Le Feu Follet: Voyages
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Nova Anglia Septentrionali Americae implantata Anglorumque coloniis florentissima Geographica exhibita
Nuremberg s.d. (circa 1716), 61,4x53cm, une feuille rempliée. Edition originale et second tirage de cette carte à toutes marges, gravée sur cuivre et rehaussée en couleurs à l'époque. La carte est apparue pour la première fois dans l'Atlas Novus vers 1716 et a été rééditée pendant plusieurs décennies. Beau cartouche en bas à droite témoignant des échanges commerciaux entre Amérindiens et Européens : perles, armes, outils, alcool, textiles et fourrures, l'un des piliers économiques de la Nouvelle-Angleterre à l'époque. Cette carte très détaillée couvre la zone géographique allant de Philadelphie au Sud jusqu'à la vallée du Saint-Laurent au Nord et indique les colonies amérindiennes et européennes. Elle couvre les Etats du Maine, du New Hampshire, du Vermont, du Massachusetts, du Connecticut, du Rhode Island, de New York et de Pennsylvanie et du New Jersey. Bel exemplaire de l'une des rares cartes du Nord-Est américain du début du XVIIIème siècle, représentant la région telle qu'elle était envisagée avant que le gouvernement britannique ne commande des études cartographiques plus approfondies sur le sujet. Cette carte est l'œuvre de Johann Baptist Homann (1664-1724), l'un des cartographes les plus renommés, fondateur de l'une des plus importantes maisons d'éditions allemandes. Conçue alors que la région était toujours en cours d'explorations, elle montre un certain nombre d'inexactitudes : Cape Cod y est représentée comme une île et le port de Boston apparaît plus grand que son apparence réelle. La taille de certains lacs est exagérée, tandis que le lac Champlain plus à l'Est que son emplacement réel. Le lac Seneca (état de New York) se révèle être une immense mer qui se déverse dans la vallée de l'Hudson et le lac George porte alors le nom de « lac iroquois ». La représentation de la Nouvelle-France au Nord est elle aussi inexacte dans la mesure où Montréal (Mont Royal) prend la forme d'une île immense immédiatement adjacente au lac Ontario. On notera également la présence de la colonie légendaire de Norumbega. Il s'agit en outre de l'une des toutes premières représentations de la ville de New York : Manhattan est identifiée comme une île légendée « N. Loch », ce qui aide à identifier cette carte comme deuxième état. Très bel exemplaire. - Nuremberg s.d. (circa 1716), 61,4x53cm, une feuille rempliée. [ENGLISH TRANSLATION FOLLOWS] Nova Anglia Septentrionali Americae implantata Anglorumque coloniis florentissima Geographica exhibita Nuremberg | [ca 1716] | 61.4 x 53 cm | one map Beautiful copy of one of the rare maps of the American North-East in the early eighteenth century, showing the region as it was considered before the British government commissioned more in-depth cartographic studies on the subject. his map is the work of Johann Baptist Homann (1664-1724), one of the most well-known cartographers, founder of one of the most important German publishing houses. Conceived while the region was still being discovered, it shows a certain number of inaccuracies: Cape Cod is represented as an island and the port of Boston appears larger than its true size. The size of some lakes is exaggerated, whereas Lake Champlain is farther east that its actual location. Seneca Lake (New York State) is shown to be an immense sea that flows into the Hudson Valley and Lake George is then called «Lake Iroquois.» The representation of New France in the North is also inaccurate insofar as Montreal (Mont Royal) takes the shape of a huge island immediately adjacent to Lake Ontario. We also note the presence of the legendary Norumbega colony. It is also one of the very first representations of New York City: Manhattan is identified as an island captioned «N. Loch,» which helps to identify this map as a second state. Very beautiful copy.
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Catalogue: Livres Anciens (1455-1820) - Voyages
Topographische Vorstellung der Neuen Russischen Haupt-Residenz und See-Stadt St. Petersburg samt ihrer zu Erst Aufgerichten Vestug
s.d. (circa 1720), 63,2x53cm, une feuille rempliée. Carte originale rehaussée en couleurs. En haut à gauche un cartouche montre la région de Saint Petersbourg et la Neva. Très grand cartouche allégorique de titre en haut à droite. Un médaillon au centre à droite montre le Fort Alexandre de Kronstadt. Bel exemplaire. - s.d. (circa 1720), 63,2x53cm, une feuille rempliée. [ENGLISH DESCRIPTION ON DEMAND]
Librairie Le Feu FolletProfessional sellerBook number: 69051
€ 1350.00 [Appr.: US$ 1463.35 | £UK 1150 | JP¥ 229094]
Catalogue: Voyages & Horizons lointains - Europe
Essai sur l'installation humaine dans les mornes de la Martinique
S.n., Fort-de-France 1935, 16,5x25cm, broché. Edition originale. Brochure illustrée de 3 planches photographiques hors-texte. Ex-dono à la plume d'un précédent propriétaire en tête du premier plat, agréable exemplaire. Rare. - S.n., Fort-de-France 1935, 16,5x25cm, broché. [ENGLISH DESCRIPTION ON DEMAND]
Librairie Le Feu FolletProfessional sellerBook number: 39534
€ 80.00 [Appr.: US$ 86.72 | £UK 68.25 | JP¥ 13576]
Catalogue: Voyages & Horizons lointains - Les Amériques
Histoire des naufrages
Ledoux et Tenré, Paris 1818, In-12 (10,5x17,3cm), (4) 399pp. (2) et 471pp. (2) et 390pp. (1), 3 volumes reliés. Nouvelle édition après la première parue en 1781 par Deperthes en un volume, elle se trouve augmentée dans cette édition de 2 volumes. 3 frontispices et 3 figures par Gossec et gravés par de Lignon. Reliure en demi basane noire ca 1840. Dos à faux nerfs orné de caissons, roulettes et filets dorés. Bon exemplaire, particulièrement frais. L'ouvrage contient les récits de 38 naufrages, notamment le naufrage de la Méduse de 1816, ou de L'Alceste dans le détroit de Gaspar en 1817. Le premier voyage relaté remontant à 1431, celui de Pierre Quirini, sur la côte de Norvège. - Ledoux et Tenré, Paris 1818, In-12 (10,5x17,3cm), (4) 399pp. (2) et 471pp. (2) et 390pp. (1), 3 volumes reliés. [ENGLISH DESCRIPTION ON DEMAND]
Librairie Le Feu FolletProfessional sellerBook number: 61518
€ 500.00 [Appr.: US$ 541.98 | £UK 426 | JP¥ 84850]
Catalogue: Livres Anciens (1455-1820) - Voyages
Nouvelle Relation de l'Afrique occidentale
Chez Théodore Le Gras, A Londres 1728, in-12 (9,5x17cm), (2 p.) xvij (7 p.) 346 pp. et (2 p.) ij ; 376 pp. et (2 p.) ij ; 387 pp. et (6 p.) 392 pp. et (6 p.) 404 pp., 5 volumes reliés. Edition originale de cette célèbre description de l'Afrique de l'ouest, illustrée de 78 planches hors texte gravées et réparties comme suit : - tome 1 : 5 cartes, 2 planches et 1 plan dépliant - tome 2 : 6 cartes, 17 planches et 4 plans dépliants - tome 3 : 2 cartes et 13 planches - tome 4 : 5 cartes, 8 planches et 3 plans dépliants - tome 5 : 3 cartes et 9 planches Reliures de l'époque en plein veau blond, dos à cinq nerfs richement ornés, pièces de titre et de tomaisons de cuir rouges refaites au XIXème siècle, filets à froid en encadrement des plats, roulettes dorées sur les coupes et les coiffes, gardes et contreplats de papier à la cuve, toutes tranches rouges. Mors et coiffes très habilement restaurés. Un bande ancienne de papier blanc masque le nom d'un ancien possesseur sur chacun des volumes. L'ouvrage, constitué d'après les mémoires d'André Brue (directeur de la Compagnie royale du Sénégal), contient des détails intéressants sur les compagnies commerciales en Mauritanie, au Sénégal, en Guinée, en Gambie et au Sierra Leone, des considérations sur les moeurs des habitants, sur les croyances religieuses, sur l'histoire naturelle, etc. De nombreux passages concernent la traite des Noirs. ""Jean-Baptiste Labat, appelé plus communément Père Labat (Paris, France, 1663 - Paris, France, 1738), était un missionnaire dominicain, botaniste, explorateur, ethnographe, militaire, propriétaire terrien, ingénieur et écrivain. Fervent défenseur de l'esclavage, il joue un rôle important dans l'industrie de la canne sucre dans les Antilles françaises. On lui attribue l'élaboration d'une eau de vie pour soigner la fièvre, qui après quelques améliorations est devenue le rhum."" (Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Havre) - Chez Théodore Le Gras, A Londres 1728, in-12 (9,5x17cm), (2 p.) xvij (7 p.) 346 pp. et (2 p.) ij ; 376 pp. et (2 p.) ij ; 387 pp. et (6 p.) 392 pp. et (6 p.) 404 pp., 5 volumes reliés. [ENGLISH TRANSLATION FOLLOWS] Nouvelle Relation de l'Afrique occidentale Chez Théodore Le Gras, à Paris 1728, 12° (9,5x17cm), (2 p.) xvij (7 p.) 346 pp.; (2 p.) ij 376 pp.; (2 p.) ij 387 pp.; (6 p.) 392 pp.; (6 p.) 404 pp., 5 volumes bound. First edition of this famous description of West Africa. 78 full-page engraved plates: - volume 1: 5 maps, 2 plates and 1 folding plan - volume 2: 6 maps, 17 plates and 4 folding plans - volume 3: 2 maps and 13 plates - volume 4: 5 maps, 8 plates and 3 folding plans - volume 5: 3 maps and 9 plates First edition of this famous description of West Africa. Illustrated with 78 full-page engraved plates. Contemporary beige calf, spine elaborately gilt, 19th century red leather title and volume pieces, all red edges. Joints and spine-ends very skillfully restored. An old strip of white paper hiding the name of a former owner on each volume. Based on the memoirs of André Brue (director of the Senegal Royal Company), this study contains interesting details on commercial companies in Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Gambia and Sierra Leone, customs of the inhabitants, religious beliefs, natural history, etc. Many passages concern the slave trade. ""Jean-Baptiste Labat (1663-1738), more commonly known as Father Labat, was a Dominican missionary, botanist, explorer, ethnographer, military man, landowner, engineer and writer. A staunch defender of slavery, he played an important role in the sugar cane industry in the French West Indies. He is known for developing a type of brandy to cure fever, which after some improvements became rum."" (Museum of Art and History, Le Havre)
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Catalogue: Livres Anciens (1455-1820) - Voyages
Voyage en Italie en 1822. 30 dessins lithographiés par lui
Chez L'auteur, à Paris 1823 (S.d), In-Folio (29,5x43cm), en feuilles. Edition originale, rare. Les 30 planches montrent des vues et des vestiges de Rome, Pratolino, Naples, Cratère du Vésuve, Pise, du Lac de Come, de Terni, Arona, Ferrare, Tivoli, Pestum, Salerne, du Lac Majeur, de Cadenabia et Florence. Les planches possèdent différentes dimensions mais la plupart : 15,5x21cm, 17x25cm. Chemise d'origine en papier fort gris-brun avec les planches libres à l'intérieur. Le plat supérieur a été employé comme page de titre. Un feuillet avec la liste des 30 lithographies. Quelques pâles rousseurs. le dos avec plusieurs déchirures, principalement sur 11cm au centre. Planche 12 avec restaurations au dos de petites déchirures en marge. Traces anciennes d'adhésif au mors intérieur. Bel exemplaire en condition d'origine, à toutes marges. Jean-Baptiste Isabey fut l'un des premiers artistes à introduire la lithographie dans l'art français. (Brunet III, 460). Il a su merveilleusement exploiter les ressources de la lithographie dans les effets de lumières et l'aspect vaporeux de certaines scènes. - Chez L'auteur, à Paris 1823 (S.d), In-Folio (29,5x43cm), en feuilles. [ENGLISH DESCRIPTION ON DEMAND]
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€ 2000.00 [Appr.: US$ 2167.93 | £UK 1703.75 | JP¥ 339399]
Catalogue: Voyages & Horizons lointains - Europe
J'avais 20 ans... ou la mission
Editions Nicolas, Niort 1955, 14x20,5cm, broché. Edition originale sur papier courant. Quelques légères piqûres sans gravité sur les plats, agréable exemplaire. Ouvrage illustré de 42 photographies et de 46 dessins de l'auteur. Notre exemplaire est complet de sa bande annonce sur laquelle un précédent possesseur de l'ouvrage a inscrit cette note manuscrite à propos de l'auteur : ""totalement éliminé de la R.T.F. depuis décembre 1957... C'était son seul gagne-pain supplémentaire."" Envoi autographe signé de Trajan saint-Inès à Jean Mahé : ""... dernier confiant espoir de l'auteur en un peu de justice humaine..."" - Editions Nicolas, Niort 1955, 14x20,5cm, broché. [ENGLISH DESCRIPTION ON DEMAND]
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€ 50.00 [Appr.: US$ 54.2 | £UK 42.75 | JP¥ 8485]
Itinéraire et souvenirs d'Angleterre et d'Ecosse 1814 - 1826
Imprimerie de Prosper Dondey-Dupré 1834, Fort in-8 (15,5x25,3cm), 4 tomes en 4 volumes reliés. Edition originale, rare, avec un tirage unique sur velin fort de 150 exemplaires hors-commerce. Elle est illustrée de 11 cartes et plans (dont 10 dépliants) avec quelques rehauts de couleurs, et 8 vues lithographiées dont 6 dépliantes. Reliure fin XIXe en demi chagrin lie-de-vin à petits coins signée Wiener en queue du premier volume. Dos lisse orné de caissons. Titre et tomaison dorées. Dos uniformément éclaircis. Filet sur les plats. Petites traces de frottements. Rares rousseurs pâles éparses, notamment à l'endroits des gravures. Exemplaire non rogné, à grandes marges. Bel exemplaire. Edition réalisée à compte d'auteur extrèmement soignée, dont la particularité est de fournir de précieux renseignements sur l'économie anglaise, l'industrie, les manufactures, la Révolution industrielle et ses ravages auxquels l'auteur est sensible. C'est aussi un récit de voyage classique avec sa description de monuments et de villes... Ex-libris gravé avec N° de bibliothèque ; Ch. Druinet. - Imprimerie de Prosper Dondey-Dupré 1834, Fort in-8 (15,5x25,3cm), 4 tomes en 4 volumes reliés. [ENGLISH DESCRIPTION ON DEMAND]
Librairie Le Feu FolletProfessional sellerBook number: 49393
€ 1200.00 [Appr.: US$ 1300.76 | £UK 1022.25 | JP¥ 203639]
Catalogue: Voyages & Horizons lointains - Europe
La Sardaigne à vol d'oiseau en 1882. Son histoire, ses moeurs, sa géologie, ses richesses métallifères et ses productions de toutes sortes
E. Plon, Nourrit & Cie, Paris 1884, 17,5x26cm, relié. Edition originale. Reliure en demi chagrin sapin, dos passé à cinq nerfs, initiales dont l'or s'est estompé en pied du dos, un mors fendu puis recollé en pied, plats de papier marbré, gardes et contreplats de papier à la cuve, un coin légèrement émoussé sans gravité, reliure de l'époque. Ouvrage bien complet de ses 11 lithographies ou xylographies hors-texte : 1 planche dépliante d'une vue de Cagliari en début de volume, 1 carte dépliante in-fine ainsi que de 9 planches hors-texte dont 4 rehaussées à l'aquarelle représentant des sardes en costumes traditionnels, des céramiques et des sculptures. Quelques petites rousseurs sans gravité, un manque sans gravité et sans atteinte au texte en pieds des pages 285 à 296. Rare. - E. Plon, Nourrit & Cie, Paris 1884, 17,5x26cm, relié. [ENGLISH DESCRIPTION ON DEMAND]
Librairie Le Feu FolletProfessional sellerBook number: 44630
€ 700.00 [Appr.: US$ 758.78 | £UK 596.5 | JP¥ 118790]
Catalogue: Voyages & Horizons lointains - Europe
A travers quelques villes historiques de la Russie, souvenirs d'une mission
Lib. Nilsson, Paris 1901, 16,5x25,5cm, broché. Edition originale imprimée à petit nombre de ce tiré à part de la Revue de géographie d'Avril et Mai 1901. Brochure illustrée de 23 photographies hors-texte. Dos et plats marginalement décolorés et insolés comme généralement, petites piqûres et déchirures angulaires sur les plats, agréable état intérieur. - Lib. Nilsson, Paris 1901, 16,5x25,5cm, broché. [ENGLISH DESCRIPTION ON DEMAND]
Librairie Le Feu FolletProfessional sellerBook number: 61321
€ 50.00 [Appr.: US$ 54.2 | £UK 42.75 | JP¥ 8485]
Catalogue: Voyages & Horizons lointains - Asie
L'univers. Suède et Norwege
Firmin Didot frères, Paris 1838, In 8 (13x21,5cm), 565pp. 56pl., relié. Edition originale illustrée d'une carte dépliante et de 56 planches en fin de volumes (Paysages, costumes, personnages). Impression sur deux colonnes. Reliure en demi chagrin noir. Dos orné à faux nerfs. Filste gras sur les plats. Bordures légèrement enfoncées en partie haute sur 1cm. 70 volumes furent publiés dans cette célèbre collection sur l'histoire et la description de tous les pays et peuples du monde, de 1833 à 1865. NB : Cet ouvrage est disponible à la librairie sur demande sous 48 heures. - Firmin Didot frères, Paris 1838, In 8 (13x21,5cm), 565pp. 56pl., relié. [ENGLISH DESCRIPTION ON DEMAND]
Librairie Le Feu FolletProfessional sellerBook number: 42276
€ 130.00 [Appr.: US$ 140.92 | £UK 110.75 | JP¥ 22061]
Catalogue: Voyages & Horizons lointains - Europe
La France au Fouta Djallon. Extrait de la Revue des Deux Mondes
Extrait de La Revue des deux mondes, s.l. [Paris] 1882, 15,5x25cm, agrafé. Edition originale. sous couverture muette. Rare. - Extrait de La Revue des deux mondes, s.l. [Paris] 1882, 15,5x25cm, agrafé. [ENGLISH TRANSLATION FOLLOWS] First edition. Plain paper cover. Rare.
Librairie Le Feu FolletProfessional sellerBook number: 19861
€ 70.00 [Appr.: US$ 75.88 | £UK 59.75 | JP¥ 11879]
Les Bayansi du Bas-Kwilu
Editions de l'Aucam, Louvain 1933, 12x19cm, broché. Edition originale. Caractères ethniques, vie familiale, vie sociale, vie intellectuelle et artistique, vie religieuse... 33 photographies et une carte dépliante in-fine. Petites éraflures marginales avec infimes manques affectant le premier plat, sinon agréable exemplaire. Rare. - Editions de l'Aucam, Louvain 1933, 12x19cm, broché. [ENGLISH DESCRIPTION ON DEMAND]
Librairie Le Feu FolletProfessional sellerBook number: 11520
€ 50.00 [Appr.: US$ 54.2 | £UK 42.75 | JP¥ 8485]
DESCRIPTION DE L'EGYPTE. Isthme de Soueys. Vue de la ville et du port de Soueys & Vue du fort d'Ageroud. (ETAT MODERNE, volume I, planche 12)
Imprimerie Impériale, Paris 1809-1829, 70x53,5cm, une feuille. Gravure originale à l'eau-forte in plano, non rognée, extraite de l'édition dite « Impériale » de la Description de l'Égypte ou Recueil des observations et recherches faites en Égypte pendant l'expédition française, publié par les ordres de Sa Majesté l'Empereur Napoléon le Grand. Réalisée entre février 1802 et 1829 sur ordre de Napoléon Bonaparte et publiée à partir de 1809 [en réalité 1810], elle fut tirée à 1000 exemplaires sur Vergé filigrané « Égypte ancienne et moderne » et offerte aux institutions. Petites piqûres marginales sans aucune atteinte à la gravure, très légère décharge d'encre au dos, sinon excellent état de fraîcheur et de conservation. Volume ETAT MODERNE, I : Le génie des savants de l'Institut se révèle particulièrement à travers les planches de la section dite Egypte Moderne. Architecture, industrie, structures sociales, état sanitaire, régime des eaux, musique, artisanat, sont exposés avec une précision et une qualité graphique exceptionnelle. L'esprit de L'Encyclopédie de Diderot et d'Alembert reste sous-jacent dans la démarche des dessinateurs de la Description de L'Egypte, qui accompagnent les volumes de textes de nombreuses planches détaillées, s'employant à dresser un portrait des populations empreint de beauté et de respect. Riches pachas ou simples artisans potiers sont représentés avec sensibilité, vaquant à leurs occupations au milieu de compositions esthétiques, sans pour autant tomber dans l'idéalisme ou la caricature. LA DESCRIPTION DE L'EGYPTE, édition IMPERIALE (1809-1829) : La Description de l'Egypte est un des chefs d'œuvre de l'édition française et le point de départ d'une nouvelle science : l'égyptologie. Titanesque exposé de l'Egypte au temps des conquêtes de Bonaparte entre 1798 et 1799, elle est répartie en 23 volumes dont 13 volumes de gravures rassemblant près de 1000 planches en noir et 72 en couleur. Les 6 volumes de planches intitulées Antiquités sont consacrés aux splendeurs de l'Egypte pharaonique. L'Histoire naturelle est répartie en 3 volumes de gravures. Un volume est consacré aux Cartes géographiques et topographiques tandis que les 3 volumes : Etat Moderne dressent un portrait saisissant de l'Egypte copte et islamique telle qu'elle était vue par les armées d'Orient de Bonaparte. La « campagne d'Egypte », désastre militaire, dévoile à travers les gravures de la Description de l'Egypte la réussite scientifique qu'elle est devenue, grâce aux quelques 167 savants membres de la Commission des sciences et des arts de l'Institut d'Egypte qui suivaient l'armée de Napoléon. L'Institut a réuni en Egypte le mathématicien Monge, le chimiste Berthollet, le naturaliste Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, ainsi que de nombreux artistes, ingénieurs, architectes, médecins... Ils eurent la charge de redécouvrir l'Egypte moderne et antique, d'en montrer les richesses naturelles, et le savoir-faire de ses habitants. L'édition originale, dite « Impériale », de la Description de l'Egypte fut réalisée sur quatre formats de grande taille, deux d'entre eux spécialement créés pour elle et baptisés formats « Moyen-Egypte » et « Grand-Egypte ». On construisit une presse spécifique pour son impression, qui s'étala sur vingt ans, entre 1809 et 1829. L'édition Impériale s'avéra si populaire qu'une deuxième édition en 37 volumes entièrement en noir et sans le filigrane « Egypte ancienne et moderne », dite édition « Panckoucke », fut publiée à partir de 1821 par l'imprimerie C.-L.-F. Panckoucke (Paris). La réalisation de ce monument d'érudition doit beaucoup au baron Dominique Vivant Denon, illustrateur, diplomate, collectionneur et par la suite directeur du musée Napoléon du Louvre qui accompagna Napoléon en Egypte avec de nombreux autres savants mais décida seul de s'aventurer dans le Sud du pays, alors que les autres scientifiques conviés restaient confinés dans la région du Caire. Les fabuleux croquis rapportés par Denon lors de sa romanesque chevauchée donnèrent l'idée à Bonaparte d'y envoyer les autres membres de l'Institut et ainsi dresser un portrait fidèle et complet du territoire. A la suite de Denon, ce sont donc les plus grands scientifiques et artistes français qui s'aventurèrent le long du Nil jusqu'en Nubie. Parmi eux, le peintre au muséum d'histoire naturelle H.J. Redouté (frère de Pierre-Joseph Redouté, auteur des Roses), le minéralogiste Dolomieu, le dessinateur Joly, et les ingénieurs Fourier et Costaz, chargés de l'étude scientifique des vestiges antiques de Haute-Egypte. Sans doute pour la première fois réunie dans une telle expédition, l'élite scientifique et artistique française, composée de plus de 160 « savants » dont près de 50 artistes, étudie méthodiquement l'Egypte pendant trois ans. Ils réalisent alors, sous l'égide et à la gloire de Napoléon, la plus vaste analyse historique, géographique, scientifique, économique et ethnologique jamais réalisée sur un pays. Mais ce sont peut-être les gravures qui constituèrent le défi technique majeur de cette Description de l'Egypte, comme en témoigne Yves Laissus, commissaire de l'exposition organisée en 2009 par la RMN et le Musée de l'Armée aux Invalides : « L'illustration, 836 planches dont une soixantaine en couleurs, gravées à l'eau forte et au burin dans des formats jusqu'alors inusités (le plus grand couvre près d'un mètre carré), a nécessité la construction de nouvelles formes et cuves pour la fabrication du papier, justifié l'invention, par Nicolas Conté, d'une machine destinée à alléger la besogne des graveurs, et exigé la réalisation de nouvelles presses capables d'imprimer ces images immenses. Certaines d'entre elles ont demandé deux années de travail. Près de 200 graveurs ont reproduit sur le cuivre les œuvres de 62 dessinateurs dont 46 ont participé à l'expédition. » Rare et superbe gravure originale d'une exceptionnelle facture et qualité graphique, témoignage d'une des plus ambitieuses aventures éditoriales françaises. - Imprimerie Impériale, Paris 1809-1829, 70x53,5cm, une feuille. [ENGLISH TRANSLATION FOLLOWS] Original, unshaved, full-page etching from the ""Imperial edition"" of the Description de l'Égypte, or 'Recueil des observations et recherches faites en Égypte pendant l'expédition française, publié par les ordres de Sa Majesté l'Empereur Napoléon le Grand [A Collection of the observations and research carried out in Egypt during the French expedition, published on the orders of his Majesty the Emperor Napoleon the Great]'. Produced between February 1802 and 1830 on the orders of Naopleon Bonaparte and published between 1809 and 1828, 1,000 copies were printed and distributed to institutions, on vergé paper with an 'Égypte ancienne et moderne' watermark, visible when held up to the light. Light marginal spotting not touching image, otherwise in very fresh, fine condition. An engraving from the Description de l'Egypte, one of the masterpieces of French printing and the birth of a new field: Egyptology. A gigantic survey of Egypt at the time of Bonaparte's conquests in 1798 and 1799, the work is divided into 13 volumes of engravings making up 892 plates, of which 72 colored, as well as presenting the splendors of the Egypt of the Pharaohs in 9 volumes. The other volumes discuss natural history and present a fascinating portrait of Coptic and Islamic Egypt as it was seen by Bonaparte's Eastern Armies. The 'Egyptian campaign', militarily a disaster, demonstrates, through the engravings of the Description d'Egypte, the scientific success it nonetheless became thanks to the 167 expert members of the Commission of the Sciences and Arts of the Institut d'Egypte [Egyptian Institute] who followed Napoleon's army. The Institut gathered together in Egypt the mathematician Monge, the chemist Berthollet, the naturalist Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire as well as numerous artists, engineers, architects and doctors. They were tasked with re-discovering modern and ancient Egypt and displaying its natural treasures as well as the know-how of its inhabitants. This edition, the so-called ""Imperial"" edition of the plates for the Description de l'Egypte was printed in four large formats, two of which were specially created for it and christened ""Moyen-Egypte"" and ""Grand-Egypte"". A special press was built to print it, the process extending over 20 years, from 1809 to 1829. The ""Imperial"" edition proved so popular that a second edition, this time in black and white and without the ""Egypte ancienne et moderne"" watermark - known as the ""Royal Edition"" - was published during the Restoration by the printing house of C.-L.-F. Panckoucke (Paris). The engravings of the Description d'Egypte owe a great deal to Baron Dominique-Vivant Denon, illustrator, diplomat, collector and later Director of the Musée Napoléon (the Louvre). His exploration of the South of Egypt gave Bonaparte the idea of sending the experts of the Institut there, thus creating a faithful and complete portrait of the area. This was the research gathered together from 1802 in the mammoth Description de L'Egypte. Denon embarked on this story of archeological exploration at the age of 51, reaching first Alexandria and then Cairo before exploring Upper Egypt. Along with the members of the Institut d'Egypte, the Natural History Museum's painter H.J. Redouté (brother of Pierre-Joseph Redouté, author of Roses), the mineralogist Dolomiue, and the draughtsman Joly, Denon then explored the Nile Delta and Lower Egypt. When, however, he joined the 21st Light Infantry Regiment as it marched across Upper Egypt in pursuit of the retreating Mameluks in November 1798, he found himself the only civilian. In the very midst of the battle itself, he reeled off sketches of the works of art that peppered his path right up to the threshold of the Sudan. He said that he had crossed ""a country that is, apart from its name, entirely unknown to Europeans, and therefore everything was worth describing"" (Voyages dans la Basse et la Haute Egypte pendant les campagnes de Bonaparte en 1798 et 1799, 1817). On his return to Cairo, the great general, spellbound by Denon's accounts and drawings ordered two commissions to be set up, led by the engineers Fourier and Costaz. They were tasked with the scientific study of the ancient remains in Upper Egypt; research that proved a significant contribution to the monumental Description d'Egypte, from which this plate is taken. ANCIENT EGYPT These engravings therefore represent a unique body of material that contributed to Jean-François Champollion's deciphering of hieroglyphics, and which mark the beginning of the line of Mariette, Maspero and Carter, who would reshape the face of Ancient Egypt. They also started a craze that gave birth to the phenomenon of Egyptomania and the Orientalism of Delacroix, Fromentin, Marilhat, Decamps and Théophile Gautier. Financiers, politicians, merchants and all kinds of treasure-hunters made their way to the banks of the Nile in search of riches, following this rediscovery of Egypt. The originators of Egyptology, these plates were to have a hugely influential afterlife. NATURAL HISTORY These engravings show the scientific genius of the French experts then working on the ground in Egypt, laying the foundations for its becoming a French colony. This colonizing project, which had been mooted since the reign of Louis XIV, was now accompanied - with Bonaparte's arrival - by an in-depth study of the country's fauna and flora thanks to the work of the most eminent naturalists, mineralogists, and entomologists of the day. The Description de l'Egypte shows all of this immense scientific undertaking through its engravings, which were done after drawings by members of the Academy of Science, including Etienne Geoffroy Saint-Hillaire, Alire Raffenau-Delile and Henri-Joseph Redouté. In the words of Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, ""We have gathered the material for the greatest work that a nation could hope to undertake. In mourning the fate of so many brave soldiers who - after so many glorious exploits - fell in Egypt, we shall be able to console ourselves that such precious works came into being."" MODERN EGYPT The genius of the experts of the Institut d'Egypte is revealed in the plates of the section known as ""Modern Egypte"". Architecture, industry, social organization, conditions of health, irrigation, music, and crafts, are all presented with exceptional precision and powers of description. The spirit of Diderot and d'Alembert's Encyclopédie runs through the work of the draughtsmen of the Description de L'Egypte, who accompanied the text volumes with numerous detailed plates, undertaking to produce a portrait of the local population that was imbued with both beauty and respect. Wealthy Pashas and simple artisan potters are sensitively represented here, going about their business in beautifully composed images that nonetheless do not fall into the traps of idealism or caricature. ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE (the ""Cairo"" plates) The set of engravings to which this plate belongs constitutes one of the first complete studies of the monuments of Islamic Egypt in Cairo, bringing together maps, sections and elevations of mosques, mausoleums and fortifications, from the Tulunid era in the 9th century up to the Mameluk constructions contemporaneous with the arrival of the Bonapartist troops. At the same time, the architects and engineers of the Institut d'Egypte also made a big series of plates dedicated to civilian housing and edifices in Cairo, including both grander and more modest constructions, providing a precious picture of life in Cairo at the end of the 19th century. BAB AL FOUTOUH Bab el-Foutouh, "" The Conquest Gate"" marks the northern limit of Fatimid old Cairo. Rebuilt in 1087, it is highly defensive in nature owing to the turbulent climate in 11th Century Cairo, which saw a number of popular uprisings. An imposing gate, it has two semicircular towers with low-slung arches made of heavy blocks of stone anchored within the ramparts. The sizeable passage through the gate (4.85m wide by 6.79m high) has a shallow dome. BAB EL NASR Bab el-Nasr, ""The Victory Gate"" is on the northern wall of the Fatimid fortress in Cairo. Its two enormous rectangular towers were rebuilt in 1087 after a long period of popular uprisings. On this highly attractive frontal image signed Protain, one can admire the sculpted shields in the corners of the gate and on the towers, symbolizing victory and protection against invaders. After taking Cairo, Napoleon named all the towers along the wall of the fortress after the officers assigned to guard them. Their names are still engraved on the upper parts of the walls of the gate. SULTAN HASSAN MOSQUE The massive architectural complex constructed by Sultan Hassan at the foot of the citadel in Cairo was built in the ostentatious style so characteristic of Mameluk architecture. Completed in 1356, the Sultan Hassan Mosque has a monumental gate and a 57m high minaret. This group of buildings, comprising a mausoleum that was never put to use, was strategically built on the site of a square that saw the start of a number of popular uprisings. The mosque was heavily inspired by Iranian models. Philae This plate is taken from a set of engravings dedicated to the Temple of Isis on the island of Philae. The final bastion of the worship of the ancient Egyptian gods, the temple of Isis was the last pagan temple to be in use before it was closed in the 6th century A.D. under Justinian. Construction on the temple began under the Ptolemies, a period of growth for the Isis cult. Isis was the sister and wife of Osiris and mother to Horus. Kom Ombo (Ombos) The Kom Ombo site, 40 kilometers from Aswan, is home to one of the best preserved ancient Egyptian temples, dedicated to Sobek, a crocodile god and Haroeris, a form of Horus. Built in the Ptolemaic era, it was actually founded during the XVIIIth Dynasty. Its massive Composite capitals and highly accomplished reliefs are captured accurately by the draughtsmen of the Institut d'Egypte, Jollois, Balzac and Cécile. The dual aspect of its design, intended for worship of two different divine triads - those of Sobek and Haroeris - is reproduced in great detail by the architects and engineers of the Egyptian campaign through this set of prints, which preceded the first archeological digs in the building by Auguste Mariette in 1828. Edfu This plate is taken from a series of views of the great temple at Edfu and the various buildings in its cultic complex. The temple of Horus, a jewel of Ptolemaic architecture and exceptionally well-preserved, is made up of a majestic entry gate and a hypostyle chamber, which are both extensively documented thanks to the engravings by the experts of the Institut d'Egypte. Begun in 237 BC by Ptolemy III and completed 180 years later under Tiberius, it proved an extraordinary sight for the draughtsmen come to explore the left bank of the Nile. Esna and its environs The town of Esna (Esneh or Latopolis in Bonaparte's time), lies fifty kilometers to the south of Luxor. The experts from the Institut de l'Egypte documented their discovery of its temple, dedicated to Khnum, one of the gods of creation who worked with clay and had the head of a ram; he controlled the life-giving flooding of the Nile, the source of fertility. He was associated with Nebt-uu, the mistress of the countryside and Menhyt, a goddess with the head of a lion. This temple, partially rebuilt during the Ptolemaic era, was added to right up to the reign of Tiberius. The draughtsmen also produced a number of views of the neighboring temples, most notably the less well-preserved temple of Contra-Latopolis to the north of Esna. Thebes Medinet-Habu Close to Thebes and Luxor on the left bank of the Nile, the city of Medinet-Habu is home to one of the most attractive temples of New Kingdom period Egypt, the mortuary temple of Ramses III. This dates from the middle of the 12th century BC, and is based on the famous Ramesseum of his predecessor, which it surpasses in size. A funerary temple celebrating the Pharaoh, the experts of the Institut d'Egypte set about creating cross-sections, plans and elevations, and most especially capturing its numerous bas-reliefs. The architects and draughtsmen also focused on the Royal Palace and its internal peristyle within the 12-metre fortress that encircles the religious complex, including the Temple of Amon, located at the south-east of the site and begun in the reign of Hatshepsut at the end of the 15th Century BC. Memnonium The Memnonium, a name used by visitors to the Valley of the Kings from 1750 to 1850, refers to a set of three royal buildings constructed during the New Kingdom: the Ramesseum, the Temple of Amenhotep III and the Temple of Sethi I. The draughtsmen and architects of Bonaparte's Institut, sent out on expedition across Upper Egypt from 1799 documented Thebes and the Valley of the Kings, even attempting to reconstruct some of the buildings on the basis of descriptions by Classical authors. The tomb of Ozymandias (one of the numerous names of Ramses II), in a very poor state, thus became the subject of very thorough study and an attempt to fill in its missing bits on the basis of the writings of Diodurus Siculus. This Greek historian of the Augustine period stayed in the valley of the Nile from 60-57 BC and his visit to the tomb of Ramses II is recounted in his monumental Bibliotheca Historica (Book I, XLVII-XLIX). At the same time, the experts also made extremely detailed studies and views of the Colossi of Memnon, all that remains of a huge memorial temple to Amenhotep III built on the road to the necropolis in the Valley of the Kings. These colossi were located at the entrance to the temple in front of a preliminary pylon made of brick. These two statues represent King Amenhotep III framed to the right by the great Royal Consort Tiy and to the left by the Queen Mother Mutemwiya. Hypogea and Biban el Moluk This plate is taken from a series of engravings of the hypogea in the Valley of the Kings (Biban el Moluk) in Thebes. Some are in color to show the vivid hues of the sarcophaguses and mysterious murals whose secret had yet to be broken by Jean-François Champollion. The draughtsmen of the Institut, including the famous Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, sent by Napoleon to cover Upper Egypt in 1799, capture with élan the royal mummies and the artifacts that accompanied the dead in their journey to the netherworld: urns, furniture, weapons, idols and the mummies of numerous mammals and birds. Karnak This plate is from a set on the Great Temple at Karnak, built during the New Kingdom at the time of Ramses III. This enormous complex is divided into three parts and is dedicated to the Theban Triad of gods, Amun, Mut and Khonsu. Its sculptures, internal bas-reliefs and sunken reliefs on the external facades are intricately captured by the engineers of the Institut, while the architects worked out the complex groundplan of this edifice, which was divided into facades, colonnaded halls and sacral spaces reserved for the temple priests. The alley of the monumental sphinx which links the site to the Luxor site was also the subject of a plate by Lepère, an architect from the Institut who took part in the expedition across Upper Egypt. Dendera The experts executed views and drawings of the temples of Dendera (or Tentyra), a city in Upper Egypt 60km to the north of Luxor. They have captured, with an exceptional degree of graphic artistry, the thick, round nature of the sculpted reliefs of the great Temple of Hathor, built under the Ptolemies in the first half of the 1st century BC. They also produced interesting views of the neighboring temples as well as a selection of reliefs of the ""Dendera Zodiac"", a chapel dedicated to Osiris and located beneath the temple of Hathor. Its famous astronomical relief was discovered by the French General Desaix - stationed in Upper Egypt by Bonaparte from 1798 - and taken back to France in 1821 by Claude Lelorrain; it is now on display in the Louvre. Another astronomical and cosmological relief on the ceiling of the hypostyle hall of the Temple of Hathor is the subject of a magnificent plate by Jollois and Devilliers. This covers seven soffit coffers of the ceiling and is an immense allegorical image showing several levels of consciousness: that of cosmogony, the constellations and their effect on the Earth, the creation of Man, and the Nomes of Egypt, symbolized by 21 pairs of wings topped with the red crown of Lower Egypt and the white tiara of Upper Egypt. The Pyramids at Memphis The Giza Plateau, near Memphis, is home to three of the most famous Ancient Egyptian Pyramids, the tombs of Cheops, Khafre and Menkaure, Pharaohs of the 4th Dynasty (2620-2500 BC). The experts of the Institut, hurrying to Memphis, explored the plateau and made numerous views of these majestic pyramids, towering over inhabitants and mounted figures. They also made minutely detailed views of the epigraphs on the tombs adjacent to the pyramids, as well as views of the Sphinx of Gaza near the Pyramid of Khafre. Views of Alexandria A plate taken from a set of view of Alexandria as it was found by Napoleon's army in June 1798. Embarking in Toulon on the 14th May, his troops disembarked at Alexandria a month later and explored this port city before heading towards Cairo to take the capital.
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DESCRIPTION DE L'EGYPTE. Qâou el Kebyreh (Antaeopolis). Vue du temple, prise du côté de l'Ouest. (ANTIQUITES, volume IV, planche 39)
Imprimerie Impériale, Paris 1809-1829, 71x54cm, une feuille. Gravure originale à l'eau-forte in plano, non rognée, extraite de l'édition dite « Impériale » de la Description de l'Égypte ou Recueil des observations et recherches faites en Égypte pendant l'expédition française, publié par les ordres de Sa Majesté l'Empereur Napoléon le Grand. Réalisée entre février 1802 et 1829 sur ordre de Napoléon Bonaparte et publiée à partir de 1809 [en réalité 1810], elle fut tirée à 1000 exemplaires sur Vergé filigrané « Égypte ancienne et moderne » et offerte aux institutions. Légère trace de pli en coin supérieur droit, sinon excellent état de fraîcheur et de conservation. Volume ANTIQUITES, IV : Ces gravures fournissent à Jean-François Champollion une documentation épigraphique fondamentale pour le déchiffrage des hiéroglyphes et inspirent une lignée d'archéologues comme Mariette, Maspero et Carter qui donnent un nouveau visage à l'Egypte ancienne. Elles suscitent un engouement tel qu'elles donnent naissance au phénomène de l'égyptomanie et à l'orientalisme de Delacroix, Fromentin, Marilhat, Decamps mais aussi Théophile Gautier... Financiers, politiciens, marchands, et fouilleurs de tous ordres se presseront sur les rives du Nil en quête de bonnes affaires à la suite de cette redécouverte de l'Egypte. A l'origine de l'égyptologie, ces planches connaîtront une postérité immense. LA DESCRIPTION DE L'EGYPTE, édition IMPERIALE (1809-1829) : La Description de l'Egypte est un des chefs d'œuvre de l'édition française et le point de départ d'une nouvelle science : l'égyptologie. Titanesque exposé de l'Egypte au temps des conquêtes de Bonaparte entre 1798 et 1799, elle est répartie en 23 volumes dont 13 volumes de gravures rassemblant près de 1000 planches en noir et 72 en couleur. Les 6 volumes de planches intitulées Antiquités sont consacrés aux splendeurs de l'Egypte pharaonique. L'Histoire naturelle est répartie en 3 volumes de gravures. Un volume est consacré aux Cartes géographiques et topographiques tandis que les 3 volumes : Etat Moderne dressent un portrait saisissant de l'Egypte copte et islamique telle qu'elle était vue par les armées d'Orient de Bonaparte. La « campagne d'Egypte », désastre militaire, dévoile à travers les gravures de la Description de l'Egypte la réussite scientifique qu'elle est devenue, grâce aux quelques 167 savants membres de la Commission des sciences et des arts de l'Institut d'Egypte qui suivaient l'armée de Napoléon. L'Institut a réuni en Egypte le mathématicien Monge, le chimiste Berthollet, le naturaliste Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, ainsi que de nombreux artistes, ingénieurs, architectes, médecins... Ils eurent la charge de redécouvrir l'Egypte moderne et antique, d'en montrer les richesses naturelles, et le savoir-faire de ses habitants. L'édition originale, dite « Impériale », de la Description de l'Egypte fut réalisée sur quatre formats de grande taille, deux d'entre eux spécialement créés pour elle et baptisés formats « Moyen-Egypte » et « Grand-Egypte ». On construisit une presse spécifique pour son impression, qui s'étala sur vingt ans, entre 1809 et 1829. L'édition Impériale s'avéra si populaire qu'une deuxième édition en 37 volumes entièrement en noir et sans le filigrane « Egypte ancienne et moderne », dite édition « Panckoucke », fut publiée à partir de 1821 par l'imprimerie C.-L.-F. Panckoucke (Paris). La réalisation de ce monument d'érudition doit beaucoup au baron Dominique Vivant Denon, illustrateur, diplomate, collectionneur et par la suite directeur du musée Napoléon du Louvre qui accompagna Napoléon en Egypte avec de nombreux autres savants mais décida seul de s'aventurer dans le Sud du pays, alors que les autres scientifiques conviés restaient confinés dans la région du Caire. Les fabuleux croquis rapportés par Denon lors de sa romanesque chevauchée donnèrent l'idée à Bonaparte d'y envoyer les autres membres de l'Institut et ainsi dresser un portrait fidèle et complet du territoire. A la suite de Denon, ce sont donc les plus grands scientifiques et artistes français qui s'aventurèrent le long du Nil jusqu'en Nubie. Parmi eux, le peintre au muséum d'histoire naturelle H.J. Redouté (frère de Pierre-Joseph Redouté, auteur des Roses), le minéralogiste Dolomieu, le dessinateur Joly, et les ingénieurs Fourier et Costaz, chargés de l'étude scientifique des vestiges antiques de Haute-Egypte. Sans doute pour la première fois réunie dans une telle expédition, l'élite scientifique et artistique française, composée de plus de 160 « savants » dont près de 50 artistes, étudie méthodiquement l'Egypte pendant trois ans. Ils réalisent alors, sous l'égide et à la gloire de Napoléon, la plus vaste analyse historique, géographique, scientifique, économique et ethnologique jamais réalisée sur un pays. Mais ce sont peut-être les gravures qui constituèrent le défi technique majeur de cette Description de l'Egypte, comme en témoigne Yves Laissus, commissaire de l'exposition organisée en 2009 par la RMN et le Musée de l'Armée aux Invalides : « L'illustration, 836 planches dont une soixantaine en couleurs, gravées à l'eau forte et au burin dans des formats jusqu'alors inusités (le plus grand couvre près d'un mètre carré), a nécessité la construction de nouvelles formes et cuves pour la fabrication du papier, justifié l'invention, par Nicolas Conté, d'une machine destinée à alléger la besogne des graveurs, et exigé la réalisation de nouvelles presses capables d'imprimer ces images immenses. Certaines d'entre elles ont demandé deux années de travail. Près de 200 graveurs ont reproduit sur le cuivre les œuvres de 62 dessinateurs dont 46 ont participé à l'expédition. » Rare et superbe gravure originale d'une exceptionnelle facture et qualité graphique, témoignage d'une des plus ambitieuses aventures éditoriales françaises. - Imprimerie Impériale, Paris 1809-1829, 71x54cm, une feuille. [ENGLISH TRANSLATION FOLLOWS] Original, unshaved, full-page etching from the ""Imperial edition"" of the Description de l'Égypte, or 'Recueil des observations et recherches faites en Égypte pendant l'expédition française, publié par les ordres de Sa Majesté l'Empereur Napoléon le Grand [A Collection of the observations and research carried out in Egypt during the French expedition, published on the orders of his Majesty the Emperor Napoleon the Great]'. Produced between February 1802 and 1830 on the orders of Naopleon Bonaparte and published between 1809 and 1828, 1,000 copies were printed and distributed to institutions, on vergé paper with an 'Égypte ancienne et moderne' watermark, visible when held up to the light. Light marginal spotting not touching image, otherwise in very fresh, fine condition. An engraving from the Description de l'Egypte, one of the masterpieces of French printing and the birth of a new field: Egyptology. A gigantic survey of Egypt at the time of Bonaparte's conquests in 1798 and 1799, the work is divided into 13 volumes of engravings making up 892 plates, of which 72 colored, as well as presenting the splendors of the Egypt of the Pharaohs in 9 volumes. The other volumes discuss natural history and present a fascinating portrait of Coptic and Islamic Egypt as it was seen by Bonaparte's Eastern Armies. The 'Egyptian campaign', militarily a disaster, demonstrates, through the engravings of the Description d'Egypte, the scientific success it nonetheless became thanks to the 167 expert members of the Commission of the Sciences and Arts of the Institut d'Egypte [Egyptian Institute] who followed Napoleon's army. The Institut gathered together in Egypt the mathematician Monge, the chemist Berthollet, the naturalist Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire as well as numerous artists, engineers, architects and doctors. They were tasked with re-discovering modern and ancient Egypt and displaying its natural treasures as well as the know-how of its inhabitants. This edition, the so-called ""Imperial"" edition of the plates for the Description de l'Egypte was printed in four large formats, two of which were specially created for it and christened ""Moyen-Egypte"" and ""Grand-Egypte"". A special press was built to print it, the process extending over 20 years, from 1809 to 1829. The ""Imperial"" edition proved so popular that a second edition, this time in black and white and without the ""Egypte ancienne et moderne"" watermark - known as the ""Royal Edition"" - was published during the Restoration by the printing house of C.-L.-F. Panckoucke (Paris). The engravings of the Description d'Egypte owe a great deal to Baron Dominique-Vivant Denon, illustrator, diplomat, collector and later Director of the Musée Napoléon (the Louvre). His exploration of the South of Egypt gave Bonaparte the idea of sending the experts of the Institut there, thus creating a faithful and complete portrait of the area. This was the research gathered together from 1802 in the mammoth Description de L'Egypte. Denon embarked on this story of archeological exploration at the age of 51, reaching first Alexandria and then Cairo before exploring Upper Egypt. Along with the members of the Institut d'Egypte, the Natural History Museum's painter H.J. Redouté (brother of Pierre-Joseph Redouté, author of Roses), the mineralogist Dolomiue, and the draughtsman Joly, Denon then explored the Nile Delta and Lower Egypt. When, however, he joined the 21st Light Infantry Regiment as it marched across Upper Egypt in pursuit of the retreating Mameluks in November 1798, he found himself the only civilian. In the very midst of the battle itself, he reeled off sketches of the works of art that peppered his path right up to the threshold of the Sudan. He said that he had crossed ""a country that is, apart from its name, entirely unknown to Europeans, and therefore everything was worth describing"" (Voyages dans la Basse et la Haute Egypte pendant les campagnes de Bonaparte en 1798 et 1799, 1817). On his return to Cairo, the great general, spellbound by Denon's accounts and drawings ordered two commissions to be set up, led by the engineers Fourier and Costaz. They were tasked with the scientific study of the ancient remains in Upper Egypt; research that proved a significant contribution to the monumental Description d'Egypte, from which this plate is taken. ANCIENT EGYPT These engravings therefore represent a unique body of material that contributed to Jean-François Champollion's deciphering of hieroglyphics, and which mark the beginning of the line of Mariette, Maspero and Carter, who would reshape the face of Ancient Egypt. They also started a craze that gave birth to the phenomenon of Egyptomania and the Orientalism of Delacroix, Fromentin, Marilhat, Decamps and Théophile Gautier. Financiers, politicians, merchants and all kinds of treasure-hunters made their way to the banks of the Nile in search of riches, following this rediscovery of Egypt. The originators of Egyptology, these plates were to have a hugely influential afterlife. NATURAL HISTORY These engravings show the scientific genius of the French experts then working on the ground in Egypt, laying the foundations for its becoming a French colony. This colonizing project, which had been mooted since the reign of Louis XIV, was now accompanied - with Bonaparte's arrival - by an in-depth study of the country's fauna and flora thanks to the work of the most eminent naturalists, mineralogists, and entomologists of the day. The Description de l'Egypte shows all of this immense scientific undertaking through its engravings, which were done after drawings by members of the Academy of Science, including Etienne Geoffroy Saint-Hillaire, Alire Raffenau-Delile and Henri-Joseph Redouté. In the words of Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, ""We have gathered the material for the greatest work that a nation could hope to undertake. In mourning the fate of so many brave soldiers who - after so many glorious exploits - fell in Egypt, we shall be able to console ourselves that such precious works came into being."" MODERN EGYPT The genius of the experts of the Institut d'Egypte is revealed in the plates of the section known as ""Modern Egypte"". Architecture, industry, social organization, conditions of health, irrigation, music, and crafts, are all presented with exceptional precision and powers of description. The spirit of Diderot and d'Alembert's Encyclopédie runs through the work of the draughtsmen of the Description de L'Egypte, who accompanied the text volumes with numerous detailed plates, undertaking to produce a portrait of the local population that was imbued with both beauty and respect. Wealthy Pashas and simple artisan potters are sensitively represented here, going about their business in beautifully composed images that nonetheless do not fall into the traps of idealism or caricature. ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE (the ""Cairo"" plates) The set of engravings to which this plate belongs constitutes one of the first complete studies of the monuments of Islamic Egypt in Cairo, bringing together maps, sections and elevations of mosques, mausoleums and fortifications, from the Tulunid era in the 9th century up to the Mameluk constructions contemporaneous with the arrival of the Bonapartist troops. At the same time, the architects and engineers of the Institut d'Egypte also made a big series of plates dedicated to civilian housing and edifices in Cairo, including both grander and more modest constructions, providing a precious picture of life in Cairo at the end of the 19th century. BAB AL FOUTOUH Bab el-Foutouh, "" The Conquest Gate"" marks the northern limit of Fatimid old Cairo. Rebuilt in 1087, it is highly defensive in nature owing to the turbulent climate in 11th Century Cairo, which saw a number of popular uprisings. An imposing gate, it has two semicircular towers with low-slung arches made of heavy blocks of stone anchored within the ramparts. The sizeable passage through the gate (4.85m wide by 6.79m high) has a shallow dome. BAB EL NASR Bab el-Nasr, ""The Victory Gate"" is on the northern wall of the Fatimid fortress in Cairo. Its two enormous rectangular towers were rebuilt in 1087 after a long period of popular uprisings. On this highly attractive frontal image signed Protain, one can admire the sculpted shields in the corners of the gate and on the towers, symbolizing victory and protection against invaders. After taking Cairo, Napoleon named all the towers along the wall of the fortress after the officers assigned to guard them. Their names are still engraved on the upper parts of the walls of the gate. SULTAN HASSAN MOSQUE The massive architectural complex constructed by Sultan Hassan at the foot of the citadel in Cairo was built in the ostentatious style so characteristic of Mameluk architecture. Completed in 1356, the Sultan Hassan Mosque has a monumental gate and a 57m high minaret. This group of buildings, comprising a mausoleum that was never put to use, was strategically built on the site of a square that saw the start of a number of popular uprisings. The mosque was heavily inspired by Iranian models. Philae This plate is taken from a set of engravings dedicated to the Temple of Isis on the island of Philae. The final bastion of the worship of the ancient Egyptian gods, the temple of Isis was the last pagan temple to be in use before it was closed in the 6th century A.D. under Justinian. Construction on the temple began under the Ptolemies, a period of growth for the Isis cult. Isis was the sister and wife of Osiris and mother to Horus. Kom Ombo (Ombos) The Kom Ombo site, 40 kilometers from Aswan, is home to one of the best preserved ancient Egyptian temples, dedicated to Sobek, a crocodile god and Haroeris, a form of Horus. Built in the Ptolemaic era, it was actually founded during the XVIIIth Dynasty. Its massive Composite capitals and highly accomplished reliefs are captured accurately by the draughtsmen of the Institut d'Egypte, Jollois, Balzac and Cécile. The dual aspect of its design, intended for worship of two different divine triads - those of Sobek and Haroeris - is reproduced in great detail by the architects and engineers of the Egyptian campaign through this set of prints, which preceded the first archeological digs in the building by Auguste Mariette in 1828. Edfu This plate is taken from a series of views of the great temple at Edfu and the various buildings in its cultic complex. The temple of Horus, a jewel of Ptolemaic architecture and exceptionally well-preserved, is made up of a majestic entry gate and a hypostyle chamber, which are both extensively documented thanks to the engravings by the experts of the Institut d'Egypte. Begun in 237 BC by Ptolemy III and completed 180 years later under Tiberius, it proved an extraordinary sight for the draughtsmen come to explore the left bank of the Nile. Esna and its environs The town of Esna (Esneh or Latopolis in Bonaparte's time), lies fifty kilometers to the south of Luxor. The experts from the Institut de l'Egypte documented their discovery of its temple, dedicated to Khnum, one of the gods of creation who worked with clay and had the head of a ram; he controlled the life-giving flooding of the Nile, the source of fertility. He was associated with Nebt-uu, the mistress of the countryside and Menhyt, a goddess with the head of a lion. This temple, partially rebuilt during the Ptolemaic era, was added to right up to the reign of Tiberius. The draughtsmen also produced a number of views of the neighboring temples, most notably the less well-preserved temple of Contra-Latopolis to the north of Esna. Thebes Medinet-Habu Close to Thebes and Luxor on the left bank of the Nile, the city of Medinet-Habu is home to one of the most attractive temples of New Kingdom period Egypt, the mortuary temple of Ramses III. This dates from the middle of the 12th century BC, and is based on the famous Ramesseum of his predecessor, which it surpasses in size. A funerary temple celebrating the Pharaoh, the experts of the Institut d'Egypte set about creating cross-sections, plans and elevations, and most especially capturing its numerous bas-reliefs. The architects and draughtsmen also focused on the Royal Palace and its internal peristyle within the 12-metre fortress that encircles the religious complex, including the Temple of Amon, located at the south-east of the site and begun in the reign of Hatshepsut at the end of the 15th Century BC. Memnonium The Memnonium, a name used by visitors to the Valley of the Kings from 1750 to 1850, refers to a set of three royal buildings constructed during the New Kingdom: the Ramesseum, the Temple of Amenhotep III and the Temple of Sethi I. The draughtsmen and architects of Bonaparte's Institut, sent out on expedition across Upper Egypt from 1799 documented Thebes and the Valley of the Kings, even attempting to reconstruct some of the buildings on the basis of descriptions by Classical authors. The tomb of Ozymandias (one of the numerous names of Ramses II), in a very poor state, thus became the subject of very thorough study and an attempt to fill in its missing bits on the basis of the writings of Diodurus Siculus. This Greek historian of the Augustine period stayed in the valley of the Nile from 60-57 BC and his visit to the tomb of Ramses II is recounted in his monumental Bibliotheca Historica (Book I, XLVII-XLIX). At the same time, the experts also made extremely detailed studies and views of the Colossi of Memnon, all that remains of a huge memorial temple to Amenhotep III built on the road to the necropolis in the Valley of the Kings. These colossi were located at the entrance to the temple in front of a preliminary pylon made of brick. These two statues represent King Amenhotep III framed to the right by the great Royal Consort Tiy and to the left by the Queen Mother Mutemwiya. Hypogea and Biban el Moluk This plate is taken from a series of engravings of the hypogea in the Valley of the Kings (Biban el Moluk) in Thebes. Some are in color to show the vivid hues of the sarcophaguses and mysterious murals whose secret had yet to be broken by Jean-François Champollion. The draughtsmen of the Institut, including the famous Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, sent by Napoleon to cover Upper Egypt in 1799, capture with élan the royal mummies and the artifacts that accompanied the dead in their journey to the netherworld: urns, furniture, weapons, idols and the mummies of numerous mammals and birds. Karnak This plate is from a set on the Great Temple at Karnak, built during the New Kingdom at the time of Ramses III. This enormous complex is divided into three parts and is dedicated to the Theban Triad of gods, Amun, Mut and Khonsu. Its sculptures, internal bas-reliefs and sunken reliefs on the external facades are intricately captured by the engineers of the Institut, while the architects worked out the complex groundplan of this edifice, which was divided into facades, colonnaded halls and sacral spaces reserved for the temple priests. The alley of the monumental sphinx which links the site to the Luxor site was also the subject of a plate by Lepère, an architect from the Institut who took part in the expedition across Upper Egypt. Dendera The experts executed views and drawings of the temples of Dendera (or Tentyra), a city in Upper Egypt 60km to the north of Luxor. They have captured, with an exceptional degree of graphic artistry, the thick, round nature of the sculpted reliefs of the great Temple of Hathor, built under the Ptolemies in the first half of the 1st century BC. They also produced interesting views of the neighboring temples as well as a selection of reliefs of the ""Dendera Zodiac"", a chapel dedicated to Osiris and located beneath the temple of Hathor. Its famous astronomical relief was discovered by the French General Desaix - stationed in Upper Egypt by Bonaparte from 1798 - and taken back to France in 1821 by Claude Lelorrain; it is now on display in the Louvre. Another astronomical and cosmological relief on the ceiling of the hypostyle hall of the Temple of Hathor is the subject of a magnificent plate by Jollois and Devilliers. This covers seven soffit coffers of the ceiling and is an immense allegorical image showing several levels of consciousness: that of cosmogony, the constellations and their effect on the Earth, the creation of Man, and the Nomes of Egypt, symbolized by 21 pairs of wings topped with the red crown of Lower Egypt and the white tiara of Upper Egypt. The Pyramids at Memphis The Giza Plateau, near Memphis, is home to three of the most famous Ancient Egyptian Pyramids, the tombs of Cheops, Khafre and Menkaure, Pharaohs of the 4th Dynasty (2620-2500 BC). The experts of the Institut, hurrying to Memphis, explored the plateau and made numerous views of these majestic pyramids, towering over inhabitants and mounted figures. They also made minutely detailed views of the epigraphs on the tombs adjacent to the pyramids, as well as views of the Sphinx of Gaza near the Pyramid of Khafre. Views of Alexandria A plate taken from a set of view of Alexandria as it was found by Napoleon's army in June 1798. Embarking in Toulon on the 14th May, his troops disembarked at Alexandria a month later and explored this port city before heading towards Cairo to take the capital.
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