Grottes & veües de Jardins inventées et gravées par Jean le Pautre

First printing of this series comprising 6 etchings (including a title-frontispiece) drawn and engraved by Lepautre and printed by Mariette. Copy similar to that held by the Biblioteca historica Marques de Valdocilla in Madrid (UCM). Not found in the electronic catalogues of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. Plate dimensions 16.5x22.5cm.
20th-century binding in half vellum. Unlettered spine. 18th-century style marbled paper on boards. Plates mounted. A brown stain on the second engraving in the outer margin extending onto the engraving (1.5cm/3cm), another 1cm in diameter on plate 3. The engravings are numbered in the lower margin of the plate and also contain: P. Mariette ex.
French draughtsman and engraver (1618-1682), he was renowned for his qualities as an ornamentalist. He remained marked in his style by his first journey to Italy in the company of his master Philippon, for whom he became the engraver on his return from Italy for Curieuses Recherches de plusieurs beaux morceaux d'ornements antiques et modernes tant dans la ville de Rome que autres lieux d'Italie. His work was collected and published by Jombert from 1741 under the general title of architectural works by Jean Lepautre. His varied and dense style, of great richness of invention within a rigorous framework, had a great influence on the 18th century.