Title:  Cavaliers Romans

Date: 1719

Color: Black and White

Medium: Copperplate Engraving

Dimensions: image (17.8 x 31.7 cm or 7 x 12 ½ inch),  paper (25.5 x 40 cm or 10 x 15 3/4 inch)

Credits: Bernard de Montfaucon (author); Florentin Delaulne, Paris (publisher), plate 26 of part I of Volume IV [Les levees des Gens de Guerre, les Habits, les Magazins, les Travaux, les Signes, & les Combats militaries, les Armes de toutes les Nations, les Marches d’Armees, les Machines de guerre, &c.] of L’Antiquite expliquee, et representee en figures (1st edition, Paris 1719)

Condition:

        The print is in excellent condition [i.e., clear & clean image, strong paper and plate mark, original wide margins, no bend, no tear, and slight but even age toning]. It was printed on high quality hand laid paper with a blank verso. The print is nearly flawless with no apology.

Description:

        Bernard de Montfaucon (1655 – 1741), a leaned Benedictine Monk of congregation of St. Maur, was regarded by many as one of the founders of Modern Archeology. Among many of his published works, the best known is, perhaps, L’Antiquite expliquee, et representee en figures [Antiquity explained, and represented in sculptures (par D Humphrets translation)]. It is a five-volumes ten parts series on ancient Greco-Roman [and others, e.g., Egyptian, Germania, Gaul etc] monuments and artifacts that might be of use in the study of the religion, domestic customs, material life, military institutions, and funeral rites [and had since become antique in its own right]. The book, which first published in French in 1719 includes many beautifully engraved plates that meticulously reproduced and represented the ancient life [of chiefly Greek and Rome] in graphic form. Despite its size, it was printed about 1800 copies and sold out within first few months.  An English edition of this work (condensed into five volumes) was published in 1721 (translated by David Humphrets) with many completely re-engraved plates on a slightly larger folio (yet many figures were reduced to 2/3 even ¼ of their original dimensions in order to make composite prints). A second French edition of the original work was published in 1722 with corrections and revisions, which was then followed by a five volumes Supplements (Supplement au livre de L’Antiquite expliquee, et representee en figures) first published in 1724.   

       Despite the vast number of plates in two editions and supplements [for L’Antiquite expliquee, et representee en figures], it is quite straightforward to distinguish them by sizes [of paper and image], contents [slight variation and new subjects], legends, quality of paper, and most obviously the title pages. The plates from the first French edition of 1719 are slightly more desirable for similar figures among all the editions. Indeed, the paper and the engraving [less wearing of the plate] of the first edition are generally above the subsequent issues in quality.

         This print of  Roman Cavaliers  (plate 26 at page 74) was from the first French edition of 1719 in part I of Volume 4. It depicted several Roman Horsemen in close combat from authorities of Montfaucon's corresponding contemporaries [Fabretti, La Chausse, and Maffei). A very good collector’s item (especially in such nice condition) -please note the low starting price with no reserve, happy bidding! 

        Note that this item (and our other antique maps and prints) is absolutely and unconditionally guaranteed [with full money back including shipping handling and your return postage] to be original [i.e., not a modern copy or reproduction] and as described. Please take a look at our other related maps/prints items (free shipping and handling for additional item when combine shipping is possible) on eBay store or auction format.