JOACHIM LEGRAND: MONUMENTS DE LA GRECE OU COLLECTION DES CHEFS D OEUVRE D ARCHITECTURE, DE SCULPTURE ET DE PEINTURES GRAVES.... ET ACCOMPAGNES D UN TEXT HISTORIQUE, ANALYTIC ET DESCRIPTIVE. PARIS 1808 FIRST EDITION (all published), ROYAL FOLIO, contemporary burgundy leather over boards, spine richly gilt, with very few wear, some light scattered spotting in few pages, complete [2],184p. and ninety seven (97) FOLIO copper engraved plates, overall in very good condition. The publication started in 1806 and the work had been initially planned as a multi volumes highly ARTISTIC PROJECT by Legrand under the direction of Cassas who visited Greece and the Levant, But Legrand died in 1807 and all prepared plates had been finally assembled and published in 1808. Brunet states that 96 plates have been printed, the 93rd plate state that it is the last, but as Blackmer copy (Blackmer 1000) this copy has 97 plates, so all plates are present. Legrand was the architect –scholar who previously provided the technical descriptions for the monuments included in Choiseul Gouffier famous publication on Greece. He was the leading French architect and designer of its time. It is a very significant work in the history of Greek archaeology. Legrand uses his training to analyze the proportions and structural integrity of sites like Parthenon and other Greek monuments. A book which fuel the Neo-Classical movement in Europe. Architects all around Europe used Legrand s descriptions to design buildings that mimicked ancient Greek styles. Legrand was one of the very first scholar who stop looking at the Greek ruins as scenery and start looking at them as blueprints. He applied rigorous architectural standards and provide exact measurements, he explained how the Greeks built their temples which for the first time allowed modern architects to replicate them. This work provided the theoretical and visual foundation for the Greek revival. He was also an ardent Philhellene and the planning of this work gather many important French Philhellenes as Didot the father who published the work. Superb Folio copper engraved plates depicting the architectural beauty of some of the best monuments of Greece coupled with a very extensive text explanation. Exceptionally rare, as all published up to Legrand death plates gathered together and sold at once. An impressive work