ITALY Antoine Jean-Baptiste THOMAS - Un an à Rome... Lot 127

[ITALY] Antoine Jean-Baptiste THOMAS - Un an à Rome et dans ses environs, recueil de dessins lithographiés représentant les costumes, les usages et les cérémonies civiles et religieuses des états romains, et généralement tout ce qu'on y voit de remarquable pendant le cours d'une année Firmin Didot à Paris, 1823 - First edition of this spectacular work, wonderfully illustrated with 72 full-color lithographs by Jean-François Villain after Thomas, who also won the Grand Prix de Rome in 1816. Also includes 44 pages of plate descriptions. Copy in modern binding, well produced green half-chagrin, washed copy, inside with heavy wetness, fortunately mostly marginal and only slightly affecting the plates themselves. Some plates are affected, however, and the paper is a little curled in places. This extremely rare work remains attractive for the superb quality of the lithographs. Large folio, 44pp. and plates.