Paul-Mathieu Laurent de l'Ardèche [ill. Horace Vernet] - Histoire de L'Empereur Napoléon - 1839

Very first illustrated edition of this Napoleon's biography by Paul-Mathieu Laurent (1793-1877) illustrated with 500 woodcut engravings by Horace Vernet.

The copy has a remarkable provenance attested by the emblazoned engraved bookplate on reverse side of front cover: the French baron René de Batz (1865-1928).

Fine binding with nice green leather enhanced with romantic gilt ornaments in fashion at the time on covers and on the back, tinted endpapers and marbled edges.

Good overall condition, binding is slightly rubbed, corners and edges are worn, bookmark is broken, few foxing, few pages turn slightly brown, tear without loss on pages 795-798, a mark on page 799, other minor defects.

¶ Horace Vernet (1789-1863) was a French painter of battles, portraits, and Orientalist subjects. He is a loyal Bonapartist who made his debut at the Salon in 1812, painted several portraits of Napoleon for whom he has always shown great admiration.

(Carteret, III, 375).