Voyage pittoresque en Sicile. Dédié à son altesse royale Madame la duchesse de Berry.

2 vol., in-plano (61,2 x 46,2 cm); 93 pl. (foxing, sometimes extensive, marg. damp stains, one larger at end of vol. II affecting some pl., some pl. sl. browned).

Contemp. red morocco, large panel of red paper on boards framed with gilt-ruled morocco, gilt-orn. spines with raised bands (very rubbed, some def., front joint of vol. I part. split). Wide-margined copy.

First edition of this work edited by Jean-Frédéric d'Ostervald (1773-1850) who took over in 1820 the printing office of his brother specialised in collections of topographical views. He decided to publish a book on Sicily because the informations contained in the works of Hoüel and Saint-Non were outdated. He asked to Gigault de La Salle, "un écrivain versé dans l'étude de l'antiquité" (cfr. Avis de l'éditeur, p. [7]) to write the text. Illustrated with a map and 92 nice aquatints, some on tinted background, representing views and monuments of Siracusa, Catania, Messina, the Etna, Palermo, Montreale, Termini Imerese, Sciacca, Agrigente, Taormine, etc. To ensure the beauty of the plates, the work was only issued to 350 copies on Montgolfier at Vidalon-les-Annonay, "un des plus beaux papiers vélins d'impression" (cfr. p. [7]). Without the subscribers' list, only sometimes present.
Ref. Abbey 262.