Views of the Remains of Ancient Buildings in Rome,

with 26 hand-coloured aquatints

A very good copy with plates clean and fresh of a fine colour plate book on Rome.

There is little information about Dubourg; the dates of his birth and death are unknown, and even his first name is not well attested. He is known to have contributed coloured aquatints to Thomas Williamson, The European in India (London, 1813) and to J. F. Dove, A Picture of St Petersburg (London, 1815), as well as two plates (after drawings by Pugin) to Edward Wedlake Brayley, Illustrations of Her Majesty's Palace at Brighton (London, 1838) and the engravings for Barbara Anne Townshend's delightfully named Sibyl-Leaves, or, Drawing Room Scraps: consisting of Groups of Figures, Flowers, Roses, Birds, Butterflies &c: presenting a Variety of Studies in the Art of cutting Black Paper, for the Instruction and Amusement of Young Ladies (London, 1836). Views in Rome seems to be the first book that the artist produced entirely on his own; it consists of 26 aquatints engraved by Dubourg 'with a Descriptive and Historical Account of Each Subject.' He was also responsible for Notable Bridges. A Collection of Engravings of Bridges, showing Construction and Specifications (London, 1825).

In his Introduction to Views in Rome Duboug claims that 'the historical and descriptive sketches which accompany these views have been derived from the most recent, and probably the most judicious authorities,' and he ends with an appeal to the authority of Piranesi (though his views are in fact quite different from those of the great Venetian): '[I]t is presumed there cannot be offered to the public a work more interesting or more worthy of its patronage, than a selection of Views of Temples, Baths, Triumphal Arches, and other magnificent remains of Roman buildings, from the works of the justly celebrated PIRANESI.' (University of Wales Trinity Saint David)

Second edition; folio (42 x 33 cm); 26 hand-coloured aquatints, each with descriptive text, touch of offsetting, two later letters in German loosely inserted; original morocco-backed red cloth, lettered in gilt on upper cover, gilt flat spine, extremities a little rubbed, boards a little splotched, otherwise a very good copy.

Abbey Travel 181; Tooley 188.