Original 1st edition of the collection of marine etchings by the French painter Antoine-Léon Morel-Fatio (1810-1871). In 1853, Morel-Fatio was appointed “Official Painter of the Navy” and became curator of the marine collection of the Louvre. The technical precision of his drawings, his sense of detail and the suggestive power of the atmospheres he depicted, make him one of the best French marine painters of his time. The album is the most important publication by Morel-Fatio and offers a detailed overview of the maritime world of that time. This copy with etched title and 43 plates is in excellent condition. It’s a original edition and all plates are signed L. Morel-Fatio. First editions of this collection are very rare. Few copies of this first edition are known. Around 1845, Blaisot published a reprint with only 40 etchings. A facsimile edition was published in 1982. The format is oblong quarto, 32×45 cm. The cover is of printed cardboard with linen spine complete with bow ties.

Catalog: MA.2-24

Etched: ca. 1842

Signed: L. Morel – Fatio

HB cover: 32×45 cm

Condition: overall very good