Figures De La Bible, Conenues En Conq Cens Tableaux, Graves D'apres Les Desseins De Raphael, & Des Plus Grands Maitres, Accompagnes D'une Courte Explication Pour l'instruction De La Jeunesse

Paris: G. Desprez. 1767. 4to (28 cm tall). H Hard Cover. Disbound. A worn and incomplete copy of this collection of more than five hundred copper plate engravings of scenes from the Old and New Testaments. This copy contains 454 of the 500 half-page plates plus a full page frontis, title page vignette and quarter-page engraving at the beginning of the Discours Preliminaire - it is missing 46 of the 328 plates from the Old Testament and none from the New Testament. We are selling this as a collection of plates only, as there is quite a bit of damage to the text, with many ragged edges and large chips. The plates are in generally very good condition with some (perhaps ten or twelve) having chips in the margins rather close to the printed areas, but no damage to the printed areas themselves. All in all, the beginning of the book is in the worst condition, steadily improving through the end. The frontis engraving does have some spotting. The frontis engraving is by Cochin, the title page vignette by K. Audran; none of the other engravings are identified by maker. The illustrations are quite lively, often dramatic (such as with Jonah and the whale), and beautifully made. The full calf binding is still present and very worn, with the pages still barely attached to the binding and to each other. Unfortunate condition, but still a lovely collection of Biblical plates.