Les Traits de l'Histoire Universelle, Sacrée et Profane. D'apres les plus grands peintres, et les meilleurs écrivains. [FOUR-VOLUME SET]

Paris: Le Bas, 1771. Nouvelle edition. Hardcover. Good. Four volumes, 12mo. [3], 130, 235, 85, 71 leafs. Decorative paper covered boards (spines worn). Remarkable narrative of Sacred History (first published between 1760 and 1762). Illustrated mostly by Le Maire, but also by Masquelier, du Clos, Gauché, and many others. These volumes consist of an unascribed bilingual text (Latin and French) to accompany plates illustrating Biblical scenes along with short interspersed series of scenes drawn from Homer and Virgil and a gallery of Muses by way of conclusion, with captions derived from Ausonius; the plates owe much to Goltzius, Diepenbeeck, and Le Temple des Muses, and anticipate some of Le Mire-Basan's "Métamorphoses Gravées" (Paris, 1770). Bindings rubbed along joints and edges. Corners bumped (not affecting pages throughout). Rear cover of second volume glued. Lacks the first leaf of Le Maire's dedication to the Duke of Burgundy. Otherwise, this work is complete! Sporadic and very minor age toning throughout. Text in French and Latin. A good set.