Sébastien Le Clerc - Pratique de la Géométrie sur le papier & sur le terrain - 1669

Sébastien Le Clerc
Practice of Geometry on paper and in the field.
Paris, Thomas Jolly, 1669.
Original Edition — Illustrated by Sébastien Le Clerc

Original edition of Sébastien Le Clerc's great treatise on applied geometry, a foundational work in the pedagogy of drawing, perspective, and measurement techniques in the 17th century. Published by Thomas Jolly with the privilege of the King, this manual offers a new, clear, and systematic method aimed at artists, engineers, surveyors, and officers. Le Clerc presents fundamental geometry, line construction, the use of instruments, and field practice, supported by abundant and didactic iconography.

Complete illustration: engraved frontispiece by Le Clerc (re-mounted), large baroque ornamental figures, diagrams, demonstrations, and tables integrated into the text, characteristic of the engraver of the King. A copy matching the original prints, with the frontispiece, the dedication to Seignelay, the table of contents, and the privilege dated October 7, 1668, followed by the printer's completion on November 19, 1668.

The title page bears the small oval punch 'A.D.', printed in the same ink and pressure as the text: it is not a bibliophile's stamp, but an internal typographic punch used by Jean Cuysson's workshop between 1668 and 1672 to identify print runs. This marker, attested on several works produced by Jolly's presses, constitutes a strong sign of material authenticity and an interesting reference point for the bibliography of Parisian scientific books under Louis XIV.

Good example, sound paper, fresh engravings, clear printing; some marginal browning, but overall the condition remains very coherent and well-preserved. The old binding is solid (to be specified according to photos), with a beautiful overall uniformity.
An essential and sought-after work, a major milestone in applied geometry of the 17th century, rare in a well-preserved copy complete with its frontispiece illustration.

Collation (in accordance with complete copies):
π² (frontispiece + preliminary leaf), A–M¹², N¹²; approx. [16], 276, [4] pages; figures in the text.