Lot 28: BLONDEL, FRANÇOIS.

BLONDEL, FRANÇOIS. COURS D'ARCHITECTURE ENSEIGNÉ DANS L'ACADEMIE ROYALE D'ARCHITECTURE. PARIS: LAMBERT ROULLAND FOR PIERRE AUBOIN AND FRANÇOIS CLOUZIER, 1675-1683 5 parts in 3 volumes, folio (366 x 244mm.), engraved frontispiece to Part 1 by Simon de la Bossière, engraved half-titles to Parts 2-3 and 4-5 by J.-B. Broebes, 25 engraved plates in Part 1 (without folding plate between pp.[xxviii]-1), Parts 2-3 and 4-5 with engraved illustrations, woodcut diagrams in text throughout, engraved headpieces, woodcut tailpieces and initials, Part 1 with printed errata incorporated into text in a contemporary hand, contemporary sprinkled calf, spine gilt in compartments, slight browning and dampstaining in margins, corners and edges slightly worn

Fowler 46; Millard 24; RIBA I, 294

"Bibliotheca Cl. Th. Dupuy Parisini oratoris regii", inkstamp in red on titles

First edition. Blondel's approach in the Cours embodied for the first time the official teaching of the new Académie Royal d'Architecture, an approach based on strict adherence to the principles laid out in the works of Vitruvius, Alberti, Palladio and Scamozzi. Parts 2-5 provide illustrative examples of the application of these principles and practical solutions to any problems that might arise.