The Acropolis of Athens.

CHOISEUL-GOUFFIER, Marie-Gabriel-Florent-Auguste, comte de The Acropolis of Athens. The Acropolis of Athens. Paris J. J. Blaise 1782
Copper engraved vignette/ end piece from Choiseul- Gouffier's Voyage pittoresque de la Grèce. Black and white.
Designed as a chapter end piece and printed in the letterpress the view shows the Acropolis emerging from clouds; the venetian tower and lower walls are present; in the distance can be seen part of the temple of Olympian Zeus, & also the hill of Lycabettus. Black & white; one small spot outside image; under passepartout.

CHOISEUL-GOUFFIER, Marie-Gabriel-Florent-Auguste, comte de (1752-1817).
was a French nobleman, traveller and diplomat, born in Paris. He was greatly influenced by Abbé Barthélemy, the academician and fervent admirer of ancient Greek culture, who wrote the famous historical fiction Le Voyage du jeune Anacharsis en Grèce. However, at the time the young count reached adulthood classical studies were highly developed in Europe and the new trend was to get to know the ancient past not only through reading the texts but also by visiting the actual historical locations. The first archaeological missions, such as the excavations in Pompeii, conducted by the Society of Dilettanti, had already been organized.

In 1776, at the age of twenty-four, Choiseul-Gouffier sailed from Toulon, aboard the frigate Atalante, on his first voyage to Greece. His aim was twofold, to delineate ancient monuments and to describe the modern Greeks' way of life. Fruit of this first year-long journey, was the publication in 1782 of the first volume of his monumental work Voyage pittoresque de la Grèce. A novel feature of the work is that the image holds pride of place, bringing the magical world of the East alive for the European reader. .. accompanied by explanatory texts, as well as a patently philhellenic preface.
In 1784, Choiseul-Gouffier was elected a member of the Académie Française and was appointed Ambassador of France to the Sublime Porte by Louis XVI. He arrived in Constantinople in July 1785, thus making a second journey to the East, this time as diplomatic envoy of the French king to the sultan. He was accompanied by a large entourage of archaeologists, painters, draftsmen, engravers, astronomers and other scientists, who carried out rigorous research in mainland Greece and the islands, which lasted several years. However, in his new position, as representative of France and for diplomatic reasons, he adopted a different attitude towards the Greeks. In the second year of the French Revolution, following the decision of the Convention, Louis XVI ordered the recall of Choiseul-Gouffier from the Ottoman capital and his transfer to the French embassy in London. As a royalist, Choiseul-Gouffier refused to obey the order and resigned his post. He took refuge in the court of Catherine II of Russia, where he remained for almost a decade (1793-1802), and was appointed director of the Academy of Arts and Imperial Public Library of Russia.[ Ioli Vingopoulou;Travelogues Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation}
Blackmer/ Navari: 342; Atabey 241; 152 by 260mm (6 by 10¼ inches).   ref: 3284  €120