DESCRIPTION DE L'EGYPTE. Thèbes. Karnak. Vue d'un bloc en granit orné de six figures, trouvé près de la galerie du palais. (ANTIQUITES, volume III, planche 31)

Original etching in plano extracted from the 'Imperial Edition' of the Description of Egypt or Series observations and research made in Egypt during the French expedition, published by order of His Majesty the Emperor Napoleon the Great. Conducted between 1802 and 1830, she was taken in 1000 copies available to institutions. Laid the watermark visible by transparency ancient and modern Egypt paper. Perfect condition, almost without freckles marginal. The monumental first edition of the Description of Egypt in 13 volumes contained 892 colored plates of which 72, including 9 volumes involved antiquity. The other volumes dealt with the Natural History and modern Egypt as Napoleon Bonaparte had brought with him a commission of scholars from all disciplines so that, they said, in his description was stored the richest museum of universe. The work was written in part by Baron Dominique Vivant Denon before he became DG of Napoleon in the Louvre Museum. More than 80 artists and 400 writers were hired for this huge project. The dimensions of the exceptionally large boards necessitated the creation of a special press and a specific piece of furniture to keep them ...!