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Owen Jones and Goury Jules, Plans, Elevations, Sections, And Details of The Alhambra: From Drawings Taken on The Spot In 1834 By the Late M Jules Goury and in 1834 And 1837 By Owen Jones Archt. With A Complete Translation of The Arabic Inscriptions, And Historical Notice of The Kings of Granada, From the Conquest of That City by The Arabs To The Expulsion Of The Moors, By Mr Pasqual De Gayangas, London: Owen Jones, 1842-45. 2 volumes.

Physical Description
2 vols. [v.I: [12, 20, [100] p., add. t.pl., 51, [1] pl. (the plates not carrying numbers but assigned numbers in the List of Plates): illus. - v.II: [4] p., add.t.pl., 50 pl.]; 583 mm.

Contents
Vol. I: [Prelim. p. with French verse, add. t.pl., t.p., dedic.] - Advertisement - List of Subscribers - List of Plates - Historical Notice - [Plates, with explan. texts]. - Vol. II: [Add. t.pl., t.p.] - List of Plates - [Plates].

In Volume I the added title-plate is unsigned, as are also pl. 10, 46, 49, 50 and the unnumbered plate at the end. Pl. 47 and 48 are signed as drawn by Enrique. All other plates are signed as drawn by Owen Jones or Jules Goury or by both. Some plates are signed as engraved by W.S. Wilkinson, E. Kennion, T.T. Bury or Carl Rauch; a few as lithographed by F. Finlay or Owen Jones. Most chromolithographed plates are signed as lithographed by Owen Jones, but a few are unsigned by a lithographer, and one is signed as lithographed by J. Johnson.

Most plates carry the printer / publisher's imprint of Owen Jones. Two pl. are signed as printed or lithographed by Day & Haghe. One engraved pl. carries the imprint of Gaywood & Longworth.

Two in-text illustrations are signed - one relating to pl. 23 as made by Henry Vizetelly, one relating to pl. 46 by F. Branston.

The printer is named on the t.p. verso: 'London: Vizetelly Brothers And Co. Printers, 135 Fleet Street.'

The work is dedicated by Owen Jones to the memory of Jules Goury.

In Volume II the added title-plate and all plates are unsigned by draughtsman or lithographer. All other plates other than the added title-plate carry the publisher's imprint of Owen Jones. (Source: www.royalacademy.org.uk)

Contemporary half-green morocco and marbled paper covered boards, spine gilt with raised bands, all edges gilt.
26.8 x 20.2 x 2 in (67 x 50.5 x 5 cm) (each)

Large paper copy of the first edition of this highly detailed and beautifully produced work.

According to Abbey this work was first published in two forms: small paper for £18.16s (as the Abbey copy) or £31.10s for the large paper issue as the present lot copy. Abbey does not mention if there were any other differences in the make-up of the two issues, but the plates on India paper found in this lot (which are not in the Abbey copy) are only found in the large paper issue.

Plans, Elevations, Sections, and Details of the Alhambra by Owen Jones is a detailed survey of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain and is notable for being a highly important historic record of the architectural structure as it stood in the 19th century, decades before it was photographed in detail for the first time. The lithographs, printed in colours, are particularly important for being early experimental examples of the chromolithographic process that would dominate colour lithography for most of the second half of the 19th century.

Jones’ fascination with Islamic architecture was sparked by his tour of the Middle East in 1833. He further toured Spain, particularly visiting the Alhambra the following year, accompanied by the French architect Jules Goury. The two were fascinated by the Moorish Palace, and studied it in great detail, producing comprehensive drawings of the architectural and decorative elements of the structure. While Goury tragically passed away during their stay prompting Jones to return to England, the latter visited the Alhambra again in 1837 to finish their documentation of the palace.

Following his return to England with his drawings, Jones set up his own press to publish the work with the help of the firm Day & Haghe, undertaking an approach to colour-printing that is notable even today for being highly indicative of his exceptional skill and eye for design and architecture.

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