Description d'un pave mosaique decouvert dans l'ancienne Ville d'Italica...

One of 160 copies. The first scholarly work by the historian and archaeoloist Alexandre, comte de Laborde (1773-1842). Magnificently illustrated, this work uses the three-colour mezzotint process developed in the mid 1730's by the German painter and engraver Jacob Christoph Le Blon (1667-1741).

In 1797, following service as an officer in the Austrian army and an extended tour through Europe, Laborde returned to France. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under Talleyrand and became a protégé of Lucien Bonaparte, whom he escorted on numerous diplomatic trips to Madrid. During these trips, Laborde developed a keen interest in Spain and its history and with the aid of several artists he collected a significant amount of material which later formed the basis of Voyage pittoresque et historique de l'Espagne (1807-1818), and Itineraire de l'Espagne (1809), a journey which he undertook together with his friend Chateaubriand. The volumes became such a drain on his private income that he was forced to accept an administrative post in the Empire in order to continue work on them.

This his first work describes Italica, the Roman town close to Seville, the hometown of the Roman Emperors Trajan, Hadrian and Theodosius. Laborde offers new details on the Roman circus, the representation of the Muses and most importantly, 'on mosaics, which had not been reproduced on paper yet'.

First edition, one of 160 copies, folio (71 x 54 cm), half-title, title, 52 ff; 23 mezzotint plates, including engraved title, of which 19 coloured, of which 1 double page; in addition 9 illustrations printed to text, of which 2 coloured, a little spotting and foxing, handsome modern red half morocco gilt, an attractive example.