Recherches Curieuses D'Antiquité, Contenues En Plusieurs Dissertations, sur des Medailles, Bas-reliefs, Statues, Mosaïques, & Inscriptions antiques; Enrichies D'Un Grand Nombre de Figures en Taille douce. Par Monsieur Spon, Docteur Aggregé au College des Medecins de Lyon, & à l'Académie des Ricovrati de Padouë.
[Add. engr. t.-pl., t.p., dedic.] - Preface - Explication Des Antiquitez gravées au Frontispice - Table Des Dissertations contenuës en ce Volume; Faute à corriger - Privilege Du Roy - [Text of dissertations 1-31, with illustrations] - Table Des Principales Matieres contenuës dans cet Ouvrage, & des Mots rares.
Responsibility Note
The added engraved title-plate is signed as drawn and engraved by M. Ôgier.
Several illustrations are signed as engraved by Ogier; most are unsigned. One (p. 465) is signed 'Chez Cant' (?). The title-page vignette is signed 'BF'.
The work is dedicated by Jacobus Sponius Lugdunensis to the Dauphin, 'Ludovico Ludovici Magni Filio'.
References
On Spon see: Jacob Spon ... textes réunis sous la direction scientifique de Roland-Etienne et de Jean-Claude Mossière (1993). The context is reviewed in C. Grell, Le dix-huitième siècle et l'antiquité en France 1680-1789 (1995); D. Constantine, Early Greek travellers and the Hellenic ideal (1984).
Summary Note
Spon is best known for his travels with Sir George Wheler, and for the two influential publications - his own Voyage d'Italie, de Dalmatie, de Grece et du Levant (1678), and Wheler's A journey into Greece (1682). In 1679 he argued that antiquities were more useful to historians than literary sources (Résponse à la critique publiée par M. Guillet).
The present dissertations are on thirty-one subjects (those not by Spon are indicated): 1. a silver clypeus of Ottavio Mey at Lyons; 2. a mosaic of M. Cassaire at Lyons; 3. a bas-relief of Syrian gods; 4. rites of Arval Brethren; 5. the wedding of Cupid and Psyche; 6. Hermes, Hermathenes, Hermanubes, Hermheracles; 7. Harpocrates and Panthea; 8. cymbals and other musical instruments; 9. two ancient buildings of Nimes and Vienne; 10. a Latin inscription on a ring [by M. Peiresk to M. Holstenius]; 11. gold and silver rings; 12. a medal of Severus and Julia Domna; 13. a painting found near the Colosseum; 14. a medal of Commodus; 15. a medal of Trebonian [by A. Galland]; 16. the invention of spectacles [by F. Redi to P. Falconieri]; 17. the judgment of Paris on a medal of Antoninus Pius [by Patin to A. Morosini]; 18. the Manes; 19. an ancient vase of M. Gaillard, Englishman [to M. Graverol]; 20. tomb-inscription on a relative of the counts of Toulouse [by F. Graverol]; 21. an antiquity newly discovered at Paris [by du Molinet]; 22. a medal of King Pylaemenes [by S. Fesch to M. Hollandier]; 23. an inscription at Rome on an Aesculapian society; 24. use of medals in studying physiognomy; 25. the staff of Moses [to M. Graverol]; 26. a medal of Caracalla showing dancers [by M. de Camps]; 27. denial that all doctors at Rome were slaves or were ever banished; 28. Maltese medals [by Spon and Chaillou]; 29. a marble vase showing the birth of Bacchus; 30. Estrenes; 31. Lucian's account of the false prophet Alexander.
Provenance
The armorial book-plate on the front pastedown is captioned 'John Mitford Of Newtown Hampshire 1744'. Acquired between 1769 and 1802. Recorded in RAA Library, Catalogue, 1802.
Copy Note
The front pastedown carries an engraving of a head captioned 'Seneca'.
Antiquities, Roman - Antiquities, Greek - Rome - Greece - France - History
Essays - Art history - France - 17th century
Pictorial works - France - 17th century