PONCE, Nicolas (1746--1831)
Description des bains de Titus, ou collection des peintures trouvées dans les ruines des thermes de cet empereur, et gravées sous la direction de M. Ponce, ... avec un avant-propos et un texte explicatif des planches.
A Paris (Place), chez l'auteur. Barbou, imprimeur-libraire. A Yverdun, chez le professeur de Félice,, 1786.
[2], 101, [1] p., 60 (i.e. 52) engr. pl. ; 50.8 cm. (2°)

This was Ponce's first substantial published work. The plates are reduced copies of those produced for Giuseppe Carletti's Le antiche camere delle terme di Tito, 1776 (q.v.). Plates 9-10, 13-16, 33-36, 39-40 and 52-55 bear two images printed from the same copper but numbered separately. BAL Early printed books, no. 2597.

Copy Notes Inscribed in ink on front free-endpaper, in Soane's hand Pr[??]en (?)/ 2. 2.-0 [corrected to 1.1]/ 24 Jan 1828, the likely date of acquisition of this volume. With unidentified die-sinker style armorial bookplate on front pastedown.

Binding Late (?) C18th diced calf, gilt panels, gilt-tooled spine with Greek key motif at head and tail.

Reference Number 3057

Additional Names Félice, Fortuné Barthélemy de (1723--1789); Baths of Titus (Rome, Italy), Early works to 1800