Mérovir - Le Palais de Scaurus - 1822

MÉROVIR, Prince of the Suebi / [DIDOT, Firmin]
The Palace of Scaurus, or Description of a Roman House, fragment of a journey made to Rome, toward the end of the Republic... Second edition.
Paris, From the printing office of Firmin Didot, Printer to the King... 1822

This elegant octavo-volume is the work of Jean-François Boissonade de Fontarabie (published under the pseudonym Mérovir, prince of the Suebi).

It is a romanticized and highly documented reconstruction of ancient domestic architecture through the meticulous description of a Roman house, inspired by Pompeian excavations and the writings of Vitruvius.

The work is enriched with superb off-text engraved plates, folding or in black, representing architectural plans and reconstructions of façades, of the atrium and of the peristyle.

Second edition published in 1822 by the famous printer Firmin Didot.

A fine copy in a half-basane binding with period corners, spine in black leather ornamented with gilt fillets and faux cords with title pieces, boards covered in blue and black marbled paper, showing very slight signs of wear. Fresh, vellum-like paper of good quality, with a few rare and light scattered foxing, and illustrated with superb black-engraved plates, well preserved.

A handsome copy of this rather uncommon work.