ENGRAVED SUITE. VERDIER (François). Histoire des actions ext - Lot 144

ENGRAVED SUITE. VERDIER (François). Histoire des actions extraord[inai]res de Samson en quarante feuilles tirées de l'Ecriture Sainte au chapitre treizième des Juges. Inventé par François Verdier peintre ordinaire du Roy, 1698 [Title after last leaf]. A Paris, chez Benoist Audran... et chez Charles Simonneau...[1698]. Large in-4 oblong (24 x 33 cm), [40] copper-engraved ff. (ca 16 x 21 cm at plate cut), engraved numbering. After the letter. Nineteenth-century green half-basane, smooth muted spine. First edition. Beautiful suite after François Verdier, French painter and engraver (1651-1730), pupil and assistant of Le Brun. It consists of : 1 ff. dedication engraved by Verdier, the letter by Gillet; suite of 38 ff. after Verdier's drawings, engraved by himself (2), J.B. de Poilly (14), B.Audran (12), J. Audran (4), Ch. Simonneau (3), and G. Du Change (2); 1 title page at end, engraved by Verdier. Ex-libris stamp in margin of 1st leaf "Circuit Nogent Avallon exploitant de carrière"; ex-libris ms. red "André Circuit 1846" on counterfoil of same person. circuit nogent avallon exploitant de carrière Courboin, II, 47. Spine rubbed, cuts and corners worn, angular wetness on a few plates, soiling on 1st f. then marginal).