Voyage en Grèce, fait dans les années 1803 et 1804, contenant des détails sur la manière de voyager dans la Grèce et l'Archipel ; la description de la vallée de Tempé ; un tableau pittoresque des sites les plus remarquables de la Grèce et du Levant ; un coup-d'œil sur l'état actuel de la Turquie et de toutes les branches de la civilisation chez les Grecs modernes ; un voyage de Négrepont, dans quelques contrées de Thessalie, en 1803, et l'histoire de la guerre des Souliotes contre Ali-Visir, avec la chute de Souly en 1804. Traduit de l'allemand par A. du C****

First edition of the French translation, illustrated with 18 engraved plates, 10 of them hand-coloured (cf. Blackmer 87; Atabey 68; Contominas 39; Monglond VII, 654-655).

The 18 plates include the two plates of musical notation and the large folding map at the end of the second volume.

Contemporary green half sheep, darkened smooth spines ruled in gilt, with a narrow gilt roll at foot, marbled paper boards, speckled edges.

Some foxing, light rubbing to the joints, a few gatherings browned. 

First and only edition of Auguste du Coudray's French translation of this account of a journey through Greece, written in the form of letters. Jacob Levin Salomo, known as Jakob Ludwig Salomon Bartholdy (1779-1825), a Prussian diplomat and connoisseur of art and antiquities, was the uncle of Felix Mendelssohn.

His account provides valuable information on contemporary Greek art and craftsmanship, notably through two examples of dance music in musical notation and reproductions of Thessalian pottery.

These illustrations form part of the 18 etched plates in the work, including a « Carte de la Grèce et de l'Archipel dressée par P. Lapie ». Ten are hand-coloured and depict Greek costumes after drawings by George Christian Gropius (1781-1854), who accompanied his friend Bartholdy on what was then his first journey to Greece. He became so attached to the country that he remained there: later serving as consul for Great Britain, Austria and Prussia in Athens, Gropius stood at the centre of archaeological, cultural and artistic life in Greece for almost fifty years.

Bartholdy, meanwhile, settled in Rome in 1815 as Prussian consul and remained there until his death.