ARCHITECTURE FRANÇAISE
L'architecture françoise, ou recueil des plans, elevations, coupes et profils des eglises, palais, hôtels & maisons particulieres de Paris, & des chasteaux & maisons de campagne ou de plaisance des environs, & de plusieurs autres endroits de France, bâtis nouvellement par les plus habils architectes, et levés & mesurés exactement sur les lieux. ...
A Paris (Place), chez Jean Mariette,, 1727--1738.
(2°)

There are three sets of plates in the Soane Museum taken from the Architecture française published in five volumes by the French architectural publisher and printseller Jean Mariette between 1727 and 1738. All are incomplete and lacking the engraved title-plates; see the copy notes below for the collations. The order of the plates in sets of the Architecture française tends to vary greatly between copies, especially for tomes I--III, where the arrangement varies both within and between volumes; tome IV consists of a reprint of 'Le Grand Marot' with [37] additional plates, none of which are present in the Soane copy of 'Le Grand Marot' (q.v.), and tome V is in a larger format. See BAL, Early printed books, no. 129; Millard I, 113--114.

Copy Notes Copy 1: 43.2 cm. [126] plates (9 double page) from tomes I--III only. Bound (1) in a volume containing additionally [21] plates of 'Le Grand Marot' (q.v.). The plates in the Soane volume are numbered in ink 1--146 (with a bis pl. 80) in a C19th English hand. Included are 53 plates from tome I, 53 from tome II and 20 from tome III as listed in Mauban, Mariette, pp. 11--49, as follows: 'Le Famevx Frontispice Dv Temple De Ste. Marie ... Paris Rüe Saint Antoine' (a plate originally by Pierretz found only "exceptionnellement" in Mariette's collection; see Mauban, p. 72); Chœur de Notre Dame de Paris (5 pl., including the 2 pl. listed by Mauban as made up of the impressions of two coppers pasted together but here bound separately as 4 pl.); Hôtel de Maisons (3 pl.); Maison de M. Crozat l'aíné (3 pl.); Maison de Mr Le Gendre d'Armini (3 pl.); Hôtel de Toulouse (5 pl.); Place des Victoires (3 pl., including 2 pl. intended to be pasted together but bound here separately); Hôtel de Lorge (7 pl., including one with a pasted-on flap showing an alternate portal); Hôtel Desmarets (3 pl.); Maison ... rue et Porte de Richelieu (2 pl.); Maison Sonning (5 pl.); Maison de M. Crozat le jeune (3 pl.); Hôtel de Soubise (4 pl.); Hôtel de Rohan (5 pl.); Maison de Mme de Varanjeville (3 pl.); Hôtel de Ludes (4 pl.); Hôtel de Béthune (4 pl.); Hôtel Amelot (5 pl., numbered 1--5 bottom right); Hôtel Rotelin (3 pl.); Hôtel d'Estrées (4 pl.); Hôtel d'Auvergne (3 pl.); Hôtel d'Estampes (4 pl.); Hôtel de Clermont (3 pl.); Maison de Mansard, rue des Tournelles (3 pl.); Maison de Mr Dunoyer (3 pl.); Hôtel de Vauvray (2 pl.); Château d'Issy (8 pl.; lacking the 'Plan Général'); Maison de Mr Crozat le jeune à Montmorency (4 pl. of 9 + 4 plates listed in Mauban, pp. 33--34, 72); Maison Mansard, à bâtir à Paris (7 pl.); Théâtre des Tuileries (6 pl.); Château de Bouflers (1 pl. only of 6 listed by Mauban); Petite maison de campagne du dessein du Sr. le Blond (3 pl.); Machine de Marly (3 pl.).
Copy 2: 49.6 cm. Four suites (22 pl., including 15 double-page, 2 fold., 2 double-fold.) from tome 5 only. Bound interspersed in a copy of Plans, profils, et elevations, ... de Versailles published by Gilles De Mortain in 1717 or later (q.v.), as follows: Orangerie de Versailles (4 pl.); Grandes et Petites Escuries ... à Versailles (7 pl.); Château de Clagny (7 pl.); Église du Collège des Quatre Nations (4 pl.). (See Mauban, Mariette, pp. 64--72.)
Copy 3: 39.9 cm. Thirty-three plates from tome 3 only are bound (1) in a volume with De La Cour, First book of ornaments, 1741 (q.v.) and Mondon, Nouveaux desseins de carosses, n.d. (q.v.), as follows: Portes à placard (6 pl.); Cheminées, par Pineau (6 pl.); Cheminées pour un grand Appartement (3 pl. of 6 listed by Mauban); Palais-Bourbon (5 pl. of 6 listed by Mauban); Hôtel de Roquelaure (5 pl. of 6 listed by Mauban); Maison de Mr. Dodun (5 pl. of 6 listed by Mauban); Hôtel de Lassai (1 pl.); Château de Stains (1 pl.). (See Mauban, Mariette, pp. 41--45.) Pasted down on the versos of the first 16 engravings are drawings in pen and ink and pencil of neo-classical ornaments: one of these for a large urn is attributed to Thomas Hardwick, two for a vase and tripod framed by circular wreaths are attributed to Robert Adam. Loosely inserted between the drawings attributed to Adam is a pen and ink design for an oval mirror by him. (See Soane Drawings Concise Catalogue, Volumes, No. 106.) The paste-downs also include two engravings of the doors of the basilica of Pisa drawn by Giuseppi and Francesco Milani and engraved by Giovanni Girolamo Frezza (1659--1743) from Giuseppi Martini's Theatrum Basilicae Pisanae, first published Rome, 1705 (q.v.), and three miscellaneous engravings of ornament.

Binding Copy 1: C19th half calf, marbled-paper boards, spine gilt-lettered 'Architecture Franc &c'. Bound by Peter Low for £1 6s., 25 March 1807, as a set with the copy of 'Le Grand Marot' (q.v.).
Copy 2: C19th half russia, gilt-ruled borders and spine, marbled-paper boards. Bound by Peter Low for £1, 25 March 1807. (Spiers Box).
Copy 3: C18th half textured sheep, blue paper boards, paper spine-label lettered in ink 'Architecture/ French sides(?) of Ro:/ & antique Ornam.'.

Reference Number 6512

Additional Names Pierretz, D. Antoine (fl.$c.$1647); Mariette, Jean (1660--1742)