Item #04224 Views in Greece, Edward DODWELL, binder THOUVENIN JÉUNE.
Views in Greece,
Views in Greece,
Views in Greece,
Views in Greece,
Views in Greece,
Views in Greece,
Views in Greece,
Views in Greece,
Views in Greece,
Views in Greece,
Views in Greece,
Views in Greece,
Views in Greece,
Views in Greece,
Views in Greece,
Views in Greece,
Views in Greece,

Views in Greece,

London: Rodwell and Martin, 1821. Item #04224

Thirty Magnificent Hand Colored Aquatint Plates
One of a Few Copies with the Plates Mounted on Card

DODWELL, Edward. Views in Greece, From Drawings by Edward Dodwell, Esq. F.S.A. & c., London: Rodwell and Martin, 1821.

First edition. Large folio (20 7/8 x 14 1/2 inches; 530 x 368 mm.). [vi], [60] pp. Thirty hand colored aquatint plates.

One of a very few copies with each mounted on card with printed captions on verso. Text printed in English and French.

Title with aquatint vignette, list of plates, introduction and 30 hand-colored aquatint plates by R. Havell, T. Fielding, F.C. Lewis and others after Dodwell and Pomardi, on guards, all mounted on card in imitation of drawings, mounts tinted in gray on upper surface, complete with the original printed 'prospectus' bound-in before the title-page and all of the printed title-slips on the back of the mounts (five with the title trimmed-off). Some leaves of text with mainly marginal foxing and or offsetting. The plates bright and fresh.

The most desirable issue of one of the most spectacular aquatint travel books of its era.

Bound by Thouvenin Jéune (stamp -signed in gilt at foot of spine). Full contemporary tan calf, decoratively paneled in gilt and blind with floral and greek-key roll-tooling. Spine with six shallow raised bands, decoratively tooled and lettered in gilt in compartments, gilt-ruled board edges, decorative gilt turn-ins, marbled end-papers. Expertly re-backed with the original spine laid-down, reinforced inner cloth hinges. A near fine example.

A cornerstone of any collection of Greek topography. Standard format on thick paper. The work was issued in six parts from 1819 to 1821; most copies were issued in this format although a few copies were mounted on card in portfolios (Abbey and Gennadius Library copies). The plates in this work had been intended to illustrate Dodwell's Tour of Greece, 1819, but the cost of production proved too much and a selection of 30 plates were separately published under this title. Edward Dodwell, (1776/7–1832, traveler and archaeologist, was born in West Molesey, Surrey. In April 1801 he arrived at Trieste to embark on his first tour of Greece; his 'intention was to visit Greece, to explore its antiquities, to compare its past with its present state, and to leave nothing unnoticed, which, to the classical reader, can be an object of interest, or a source of delight'. On this journey, he was accompanied by his friend Sir William Gell (1777–1836), who also travelled with Dodwell through Greece in 1805 and 1806. By the end of May 1801 they had reached Corfu. In June 1801 Dodwell travelled on to Ithaca, the island of Cephalonia, Patras, and through the provinces of Phocis and Boeotia, to Athens, and then on to the islands of the Greek archipelago, the coast of Troy, and Constantinople. Dodwell's second tour of Greece began on 1 February 1805 when he departed from Messina with his artist, Signor Simone Pomardi. They landed at Zákinthos, and after about a week proceeded on their journey to Mesolóngion, Patras, Galaxidhion, and Ámfissai. Dodwell also visited the ruins at Delphi, Mount Parnassos, Levádhia, Thebes, and by about 26 March 1805 he had proceeded to Athens. At Athens Dodwell was required to make a payment to the disdar, or Turkish governor, for the privilege of making drawings and observations of the Acropolis. Dodwell offered only part payment of the fee, with the promise of full payment on completion of his drawings. The disdar, however, demanded the whole sum, which Dodwell refused: in turn, he was banned from entering the Acropolis. However, on reaching the Acropolis, Dodwell procured his entrance by bribing the guards 'by throwing a few paras amongst them'. Repeatedly visiting the Acropolis by this means, he 'acquired the name of the Frank of many Paras, and for a small expense purchased the civility of the soldiers'. From Athens, Dodwell journeyed out to the Attic Mountains, visiting Aegina, Piraeus, Thessalía, Chaeroneia and Orchomenos, Eleusis, and (about 30 November 1805) Corinth. After leaving Corinth, Dodwell also travelled across the Peloponnese, visiting Mycenae, Tiryns, Epídavros, Messene, Megalopolis, and Sparta. On 2 April 1806 he left Patras for Mesolóngion, and a week later set out for Ithaca. Dodwell made a prolonged stay at Corfu until 16 May 1806. Whilst in Greece, Dodwell also made some four hundred drawings, while his artist, Pomardi, made about six hundred.

Joseph Thouvenin Jéune (1796-1844) was the younger brother of Joseph Thouvenin (1790-1834) who started as a pupil of François Bozerian le Jeune in 1802, and one of the most decorative binders of his time. He was one of the three most important bookbinders of the 19th century and the Restoration in particular, with René Simier and Jean-Georges Purgold. "The style of Thouvenin the younger is typically romantic and of high quality execution without appearing original. At the exhibition of the products of industry of the department of the Seine in 1823, he exhibited "various bindings like his brother" but "the particular care that he puts to the execution of his works has Fixed the jury's attention"! This earned him an honorable mention (when his brother gets a silver medal.)" (http://bibliophilie.blogspot.com).

The catalog of the exhibition of the Society of the original binding (Paris, BNF , 1953) presented romantic decorations executed by binders of the Thouvenin family. Joseph Thouvenin, the eldest, from 1813 to 1834; Joseph Thouvenin, a young brother of the first from 1822 to 1844, and François Thouvenin, who died in 1832. From this last, a signed binding is known: The Iliad of Homer (Paris, Belin-Mandar, 1830, 2 volumes).

Abbey, Travel 130; Blackmer 493; Bobins I, 13;. Colas, 875.

Price: $28,500.00