HÉRÉ, Emmanuel. (1705-63) Receuil des plans, élévations et coupes... des châteaux, jardins, et dependances que le Roy de Pologne occupe en Lorraine; Plans et élévations de la place royale de Nancy. Paris: Jean-Charles François, [ca. 1750]-1753.
3 volumes in one, 2° (643 x 477mm). Mounted on guards and engraved throughout mostly by Jean-Charles François. Three engraved titles, 2 frontispieces, 4 leaves of text (two dedication leaves; one leaf of Réflexions; one leaf of explanatory text printed recto and verso), 75 plates, plans and elevations (35 double-page, 23 folding). (Occasional browning, small tears to most of the folding plates, title and the following réflexion leaf in vol.II torn, cut-down and laid-down, one double-page plate in vol.II torn and repaired, one folding plate in vol.II shaved, vol.II with old horizontal creases, penultimate plate in vol.III shaved, final plate creased.) Old calf, tooled in gilt and blind, covers with large onlaid irregular oval of morocco tooled with the gilt arms of the comte de Cobenzl (somewhat scuffed, spine chipped at head and foot). Provenance: Charles-Jean-Philippe, comte de Cobenzl (1712-1770, binding).
RARE, FIRST EDITION of one of the greatest 18th-century architectural books. Stanislas Lesczinski (d.1766, twice deposed king of Poland) received the Duchies of Bar and Lorraine in 1737-8. These luxurious volumes were intended to recall the earlier Cabinet du Roi series and to reinforce his claims. They were the work of Stanislas's chief architect Héré and include his designs for the chateaux, parks and garden pavilions. Lack of funds ensured that many of the structures were plaster-coated with painted decoration; despite this both the structures and the present work were influential on contemporary taste. The third volume (sometimes considered a separate work) concerns the plans for the Place Royale in Nancy. The provenance is distinguished: the comte de Cobenzl is said to have had a collection that 'passait pour l'une des plus riches et des plus nombreuses de son temps' (Guigard II,p.149). Neither Guigard nor the Armorial Belge du Bibliophile illustrates the present version of Cobenzl's arms, but the Armorial does mention a version that has the same dimensions. Berlin Kat. 2511; Millard 78; Cohen-de Ricci 485-486.