[Portrait des hommes illustres].

3 (of 4) vol., 4to (vol. letters R-Z missing, some portraits pasted on ff. and ruled with ink frames; marg. staining, large marg. dampstaining to 2 pl. in vol. I, marks of censorship to women portraits, some offprints of text to a few portraits).

Contemp. marbled calf, gilt framed covers with a fillet and a thin roll-stamp and with angular gilt fleurons inside, gilt orn. spines with raised bands, red edges (sm. traces of use, some wormholes or wormtracks). Nice copy, in very fresh condition.

Collection of 353 copper-engraved portraits, mostly medallion portraits, presented with tissue guards between (except occ. ones), coming from various series but for the majority from the work of the French engraver Étienne Jahandier Desrochers (1668-1741) "Recueil de portraits des personnes qui se sont distinguées tant dans les armes que dans les Belles Lettres et les Arts, comme aussi la famille royale de France et autres cours étrangères" (Paris, 1726). The portraits from that serie are accompanied with biographical verses, usually by François Gacon. The work was continued by Petit after the death of Desrochers. The portraits in our volumes depict a.o. Isaac Newton, Louis XV, the Turkish Emperor Ahmet III, Madame de Montespan, Muhammad, Francis Bacon, Cornelius Jansen, Elizabeth I, Jean-Baptiste Lully, Innocent XII, John Locke, Marie de' Medici, Machiavelli, Cyrano de Bergerac, Gabrielle d'Estrées etc.