Auguste-Marseille Barthélemy, Joseph Méry & Horace Vernet (1789–1863), Hippolyte Bellangé - EO; Napoléon en Égypte, Waterloo - 1842

Barthélemy & Méry – Napoleon in Egypt, Waterloo and The Son of Man – Horace Vernet – 1842
First illustrated edition – First printing of the engravings – Complete copy – Horace Vernet & Hippolyte Bellangé – Gilt romantic binding.

Remarkable illustrated work from the Romantic period, published in Paris around 1842 by Ernest Bourdin, bringing together three major historical poems devoted to Napoleon I, his military epic and the fate of his son.

One of the main attractions of this edition is its extensive illustrations based on the works of Horace Vernet (1789–1863), one of the most famous French painters of the 19th century, particularly renowned for his depictions of the Napoleonic campaigns and the great battles of the Empire.

His monumental works, including those held at the Château de Versailles, occupy a prominent place in French historical and military imagery.

Vernet’s compositions are accompanied by those of Hippolyte Bellangé (1800–1866), another leading specialist in military painting and the Napoleonic epic.

The copy is complete with its 17 plates, printed on China paper mounted on guards, with their protective tissue guards in place.

The work also contains numerous illustrations within the text, battle scenes, portraits, vignettes and ornaments, with particularly careful page design and illustrated typographic borders.

The texts, written by Auguste-Marseille Barthélemy (1796–1867) and Joseph Méry (1798–1866), are preceded by a literary notice by M. Tissot, a member of the Académie française.

The work brings together three major compositions:
- Napoleon in Egypt: a vast epic poem in ten cantos of Alexandrines, recounting Bonaparte’s Egyptian campaign, his military conquests and the landscapes of the Orient.
- Waterloo: a dramatic evocation of the battle of 18 June 1815, marking Napoleon’s defeat and the end of the First Empire.
- The Son of Man: a poem devoted to the Duke of Reichstadt, nicknamed the Eaglet, son of Napoleon I, who died in Vienna in 1832.

The copy has an elegant antique red Romantic binding, with a richly gilt-decorated spine, adding decorative and bibliophilic appeal to this important illustrated publication.

A fine 19th-century work likely to interest several kinds of collectors: Napoleonic history, military painting, antique engravings, Romantic literature and fine period bindings.

Bibliographic details:
- Title: Napoleon in Egypt, Waterloo and The Son of Man
- Authors: Auguste-Marseille Barthélemy and Joseph Méry
- Illustrators: Horace Vernet (1789–1863) and Hippolyte Bellangé (1800–1866)
- Literary notice: M. Tissot, of the Académie française
- Publisher: Ernest Bourdin, 51 rue de Seine, Paris
- Year: Undated [1842]
- Edition: First illustrated edition – First printing of the engravings
- Language: French
- Binding: Antique red binding, spine decorated with gilt tooling
- Format: Large octavo
- Dimensions: 26.2 × 18.5 cm
- Pages: XVI + 330 pages
- Illustrations: 17 plates on China paper mounted on guards, protected by tissue guards, and numerous illustrations within the text
- Special features: Complete copy – First illustrated edition – Compositions after Horace Vernet and Hippolyte Bellangé

Condition: Good overall condition for a 19th-century work.
Antique binding showing signs of wear, including rubbing to the corners and edges. Joints split. Gilt-decorated spine still well preserved.
Interior in good overall condition, with no annotations or dog-eared pages. Paper naturally browned with a few scattered spots of foxing.
Complete copy with its 17 plates, with the protective tissue guards preserved.
Please see the photographs, which form an integral part of the description.

Will be shipped in a carefully packed, sturdy, tracked parcel.