MAYER, Luigi.- Views of the Ottoman Empire, chiefly in Caramania, a part of Asia Minor hitherto unexplored; with ...

MAYER, Luigi.- Views of the Ottoman Empire, chiefly in Caramania, a part of Asia Minor hitherto unexplored; with some curious selections from the islands of Rhodes and Cyprus, and the celebrated cities of Coriinth, Carthage, and Tripoli: from the original drawings in the possession of Sir R. Ainslie... = Vues dans l’Empire Ottoman, principalement dans la Caramanie, partie de l’Asie Mineure jusqu’à présent peu connue; avec un choix de quelques vues curieuses dans les îles de Rhodes et de Cypre, et les célèbres villes de Corinthe, de Carthage, et de Tripoli: d’après les dessins originaux en la possession de M. le Chavalier R. Ainslie...- London: Published by R. Bowyer, 1803.- [4], 40 p.: 24 gravuras color.; 45 cm.- E.
Luigi Mayer (1755-1803) was born in Rome but worked in London under the protection of Sir Robert Ainslie, the United Kingdom's ambassador to Turkey between 1776 and 1792. The vast majority of his drawings were commissioned by Ainslie, making Mayer one of the first artists to represent the Ottoman Empire as the main theme of his extensive work. Bilingual edition, in English and French, illustrated with 24 hand-coloured aquatints, accompanied by the respective explanatory texts and an index in both languages, on the last page. Engraving nº 20 with two small cuts in the lower margin, without lack of support. Gift inscription, dated 1825, on the third flyleaf Very clean copy with wide margins, keeping the original cellophane separators in all engravings. Full fine calf contemporary binding with some wear, keeping the original marbled paper endpapers double romantic ornamental borders on both covers and gold tooling of the title on the front cover; smooth spine and gilt edges. Abbey, Travel, 369. Blackmer (Greece and the Levant), 1098