Dodwell. Views in Greece. 1821. folio. coloured plates. contemporary morocco

DODWELL, EDWARD

Views in Greece. London: Rodwell and Martin, 1821

FIRST EDITION, folio (525 x 367mm.), plain aquatint vignette on title, 30 hand-coloured aquatint plates on card by R. Havell after Dodwell, 4 of which are mounted on thick card (see footnote), descriptions of plates in English and French, contemporary purple morocco, sides tooled in blind and gilt, spine in compartments gilt, gilt edges, some light browning and stains to text and margins of plates, binding somewhat worn, rebacked retaining original spine

ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS COLOUR-PLATE BOOKS ON GREECE.

This copy is a mixed issue with 4 of the 30 plates (nos. 3, Castalian spring, 15, Entrance to Athens, 20, Thermopylae and 26, Gate of the Lions at Mycenae) being from the de-luxe issue, with the plates mounted on card and with printed captions and imprints on slips pasted onto the versos of the mounts. These superb illustrations of Greece were originally intended to accompany Dodwell's Tours through Greece (1819) but the cost of production was so prohibitive that Dodwell chose 30 of his finest illustrations to appear separately.

LITERATURE:

Atabey 357; Blackmer 493; Weber I, 1110; Abbey, Travel 130; Colas 876

PROVENANCE:

Rosa Nott, bookplate