Mosaiques. Pompei. [The Antiquities of Herulaneum]; 45 Hand Colored Photographic Plates from the First Seven Volumes by [Bayardi] - 1792

[Naples]: Privately bound, 1792. Hardcover full morocco, six raised bands, gilt dentelle, decorations and titles, cloth endpapers. Very Good. Leather rubbed, front gutter of spine starting. All of the engravings are VF with some fingerprints or toning at the edge of matte.. Oblong 11"x7.5", 45 mounted, beautifully hand colord plates from The Antiquities of Herculaneum, Bayardi which was published between 1755 through 1792. Photographic plates are taken from the original volumes, no registration present, applied in the center of the pate, recto only, gilted edges. Original engravings were done by Alexander Bannerman, Peter Spendelowe Lamborn, and Charles Grignion. There were 50 plates in the 7 Vol. set. This compilation has 45 plates, missing the five from the final volume which were of Lamps. There are no engravings of Lamps in this set. This attractively bound copy may have been for personal use as no other examples of engravings only can be found. "Following the publication of Bayardi's catalogue of the finds at Herculaneum, Carlos III, King of the Two Sicilies, founded the Accademia Ercolanense in 1755 to expedite the publication of the illustrated volumes, though Bayardi remained as editor of the first two in the series Le antichità di Ercolano esposte. In all, 8 volumes were published over a considerable period (the final volume appeared in 1792, 35 years after volume 1). The work is the most important source in the development of neo-classical art." - Sotheby's.