Le Clerc - Architecture - 1724

Architecture Explained to Gentlemen, or How Drawing Becomes a Rule
This London edition of 1724 of Sébastien Le Clerc's treatise on architecture represents one of the most successful examples of transmitting French architectural knowledge to the English public of the early eighteenth century. Conceived as a didactic work but of great graphical refinement, the volume combines theoretical text and a vast apparatus of illustrations engraved on copper, making accessible the rules of architectural orders and classical composition to an educated but non-specialist audience. The English translation and its London diffusion make it a key element in the European circulation of French academic models.
Market value
In the international antiquarian market, this architectural treatise by Sébastien Le Clerc, London 1724, is generally valued at a range between €1,000 and €2,000, depending on the completeness of the plate section and its condition. The presence of the author's portrait, the engraved title page, and a very extensive iconographic apparatus strongly support collector interest; the absence of a numbered plate and marginal defects partially reduce the valuation compared with perfectly complete copies, yet without compromising its appeal to collectors of eighteenth-century architecture and graphics.

Physical description and condition
Full leather binding, spine with five raised bands, with author and title impressed in gold. Engraved portrait of Sébastien Le Clerc on the frontispiece. Title page with an architectural vignette. Initials, drop caps and endpieces engraved. Volume accompanied by a section of 181 full-page copper-engraved plates, with double numbering 61A and 61B and missing plate 79. Some unnumbered pages detached. Present are some marginal tears and browning. In old books, with a multi-century history, there may be some imperfections not always noted in the description. Pp. (2); 18nn; 144; 12nn; (4).

Full title and author
A Treatise of Architecture, with Remarks and Observations.
London, Bateman & Taylor, Will. & John Innys, Osbourn, Senex, Sam. Tooke & Ben, John Sturt, 1724.
Sébastian Le Clerc.

Context and Significance
The treatise arises as a clear and systematic synthesis of the principles of classical architecture, with particular attention to the orders, the proportions, and the fundamental constructive elements. Le Clerc, famous mainly as an engraver in the service of the Académie Royale, translates architectural knowledge into images that are rigorous and of great technical precision. The English edition of 1724, translated by John Chambers, testifies to British interest in the French academic model and in an architecture governed by rational and geometric norms. The work is intended for "young people who would apply to that noble art", placing itself halfway between a practical manual and a theoretical treatise, and contributing to the education of architects, engineers and educated amateurs.

Biography of the Author
Sébastien Le Clerc (1637–1714) was an engraver, designer and theorist of French art, and a member of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. Renowned for his skill in copper engraving, he worked for the court of Louis XIV and for the Academy of Sciences. His theoretical treatises, characterized by extreme visual clarity, were widely disseminated in Europe and profoundly influenced artistic and architectural education in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Printing history and circulation
The work enjoyed considerable editorial success, with French editions and translations into other European languages. The London edition of 1724 fits into the context of intense circulation of French models in England, particularly within the milieu of artisan companies and academies. The large number of engraved plates makes the volume one of the most complete illustrated instructional tools of the era.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Fowler, Architectural Books Illustrated.
Millard, French Architectural Theory 1540–1800.
Berlin Catalog, Ornament Engravings Collection.
Avery Library Catalog of Architectural Treatises.