One of the finest records of Moorish Spain. One of the finest records of Moorish Spain, the images contain not only architectural details but also fine perspective views of the court-yards, gardens, and interiors.

Girault de Prangey trained at the school of art in Langres, his birthplace, and the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. He was one of the first artist-travellers to experiment with the daguerrotype. He travelled in Italy, where his strong interest in architectural subjects became evident. On visiting Spain in 1832, he immersed himself in the Moorish art and architecture of Cordoba, Seville and Grenada. When he returned to France, he showed views of the Alhambra and Tunis at the Paris Salon. He would later journey further afield, to Greece, Asia Minor, Palestine and Syria

First edition. Folio (54.5 x 39.5 cm), pictorial lithograph title with wide decorative borders, 10 pages of text within lithograph borders, 2 pages list of plates at end, lithograph frontispiece, and 29 full-page lithographs, small water-stain to upper outer blank margin throughout, original unlettered black morocco-backed cloth boards, lettered in gilt to upper cover within gilt geometric border, pink moiré endpapers, lightly rubbed, edges worn, covers faded.