La théorie, et la pratique du jardinage, où l'on traite à fond des beaux jardins appellés communément les jardins de plaisance, et de propreté

A La Haye [The Hague]: chés Jean Martin Husson, 1739. Early Reprint. Full Calf. Fine-. Third Edition of this important French treatise on garden design, "to this day the standard authority on the formal garden." (Henrey) 4to (257 x 193mm): [8],383 [13]pp, with 42 copper-engraved plates (some folding and double page), mostly of plans for parterres, mazes, trellises, cascades, fountains, labyrinths, and other garden structures and woodcut figures in the text; head and tail pieces and historiated initials. Contemporary speckled calf, spine richly gilt in six compartments divided by raised bands, red morocco lettering piece gilt, edges stained red, marbled end papers, title page in red and black. Spine relaid with some loss to gilt, contents sporadically embrowned, light foxing, in all a very handsome copy. Hunt 421. Lewine, p. 33. Cleveland 329. Henrey II: pp 491-493. Haller II, p. 94. First published anonymously, in Paris, in 1709, during the reign of Louis XIV and nine years after the death of the great André Le Nôtre, who designed or redesigned the gardens of Versailles, The Tuileries, and Fontaniebleau, and upon whose practices Dezallier based this work. With contributions from Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond (who was once credited with authorship), architect and designer of the Peterhof Palace gardens, in St. Petersburg, who also did the original sketches for about three quarters of the plates. This third edition includes text and more than 30 additional plates not found in the first edition. "It is especially valuable as a record of the manner of gardening as practiced by Le Nôtre. . . . and in the opinion of Gothein: 'Never before did a book lay down the principles of any style so surely and so intelligibly in instructive precepts.'" (Henrey) N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, with dust jackets carefully preserved in archival, removable polypropylene sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed. (Fine Editions Ltd is a member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association, and we subscribe to its codes of ethics.).