Cours d'architecture,: ou Traité de la Décoration, Distribution, & Construction des Bâtiments

Paris: Chez Desaint, 1771-1777. First edition. 9 vols. 8vo (6 vols. text) and tall 8vo (3 vols. plates). With half-titles in text volumes. 377 engraved plates (full-page or folding) by Croisey, De la Gardette, Marillier, et al, after Blondel, Desprez, Eisen, Helin, Patte, et al. Contemporary tree calf, flat spines with red morocco onlaid panels gilt-stamped with neo-classical tools, onlaid green and tan morocco lettering and volume number pieces; a few heads chipped, occasional light shelfwear. A beautiful copy in contemporary binding of the first edition of the encyclopedic and richly illustrated manual of architecture instruction that was the standard handbook of its day (Fowler). Known as the Petit Blondel to distinguish it from the four folio volumes of Blondels LArchitecture françoise(the Grand Blondel), the Cours is based on Blondels teaching at the École des Arts, a private school that he founded in Paris in 1740. His works remain to this day the most complete and authoritative account ever given of modern classical architecture (Blomfield, French Architecture II, vol. 2 p. 155, quoted in Fowler), superseding earlier surveys by François Blondel and DAviler.The Cours is divided into three parts following the three traditional Vitruvian branches of architecture decoration, distribution, and construction each part comprising two text volumes and one plate volume. Part two includes sections on gardening and an interesting discussion of the English picturesque garden and of the organization of the functions of a house (Millard). Following Blondels death in 1774 the final two text volumes were completed by his pupil Pierre Patte (1723-1812).REFERENCE: Berlin Kat. 2429; Fowler 51; Millard 29; RIBA I 296