Abrégé de la vie des plus fameux peintres, avec leurs portraits gravés en taille-douce, les indications de leurs principaux ouvrages, quelques réflexions sur leurs caractères, et la manière de connoître les desseins et les tableaux des grands maîtres.

4 vol., 8vo: front.-[8]-lxxx-322, [4]-428-[3], [4]-viii-[4]-471-[1], [4]-vi-[2]-494-[1] pp.; 254 pl. (some spotting).

Contemp. mottled sheep, gilt-orn. spines with 5 raised bands (joints starting to split, heads of vol.1, 2, 4 and tails of vol. 2, 3 damaged, corners bumped).

Second, enlarged and corrected, ed. (first ed. in 3 vol. in 1745-52) of this important bibliographic and iconographic work by art critic Dazallier d’Argenville (1680-1765). Engr. ill.: front. by Flipart, after Boucher, 4 headpieces (incl. 1 armorial dedication in vol. 1) and 254 portraits within elaborate borders (17 empty in its borders) accompanying the biographies of Italian, Neapolitan, Spanish, Genoese (vol. 1 & 2), German, Swiss, Dutch, Flemish, English (vol. 3) and French (vol. 4) painters. Titles in red and black.
Ref. Arntzen & Rainwater H-89. - Cohen 91-92. - Chamberlin 2001. - Cp. Conlon 45:731.