The temple of the muses; or, the principal histories of fabulous antiquity, represented in sixty sculptures; designed and ingraved by Bernard Picart Le Romain, and other celebrated masters. With explications and remarks, which discover the true meaning of the fables

La Barre de Beaumarchais, Mr. de; Bernard Picart

 Amsterdam : Printed for Zachariah Chatelain, 1733

First edition in English. Folio, 47 cm.  Bound in contemporary red Russian leather. Rebacked.  Some rubbing to edges.  [6], XXIV, 153, [3] pages.  60 engraved plates by Picart, captioned in English, French, German and Dutch.  Scattered foxing. "Bernard Picart was the outstanding professional illustrator of the first third of the eighteenth century, an age during which the designs for the finest illustrated books were typically drawn by leading painters. He worked for the most part in the fading baroque tradition, but there are elements in his immense production which herald the new age. When his diverse accomplishments are finally catalogued and analyzed, his standing as a book artist will be greatly enhanced" Ray (p. 7). Brunet V, 696; Cohen-de-Ricci 531.  The text newly written by Antoine de La Barre de Beaumarchais to describe Picart's engravings, originally by C. Bloemaert and others, published as 'Tableaux du temple des muses' with text by Michel de Marolles, based on the work by Jaques Favereau.  Illustrated with Picart's magnificent engravings, each within an ornate border, depicting fables of the ancient world, many from Ovid. The text is by Antoine de La Barre de Beaumarchais. Cohen de-Ricci 531.