A visit to the Holy City in 1861

Pâris, François-Edmond. Souvenirs de Jérusalem. Album dessiné par M. le contre-amiral Pâris.

€ 9.500,00

Elaborate album of lithographs based on drawings by Vice Admiral François-Edmond Pâris, from a visit to the holy city in 1861. The album follows Pâris's itinerary as he describes it in the introductory text. Leading his squadron from Jaffa to Jerusalem, Pâris drew a charming scene of pilgrims gathering at the fountain of Abu-Nabbut. Before entering the city, he captured an impressive view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. 52 important sights are marked in the uncoloured lithograph and described in the text. The view of the city is followed by impressions of Christian places of worship such as the Prison of Christ, the Chapel of Saint Helena in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Tomb of the Virgin Mary, the Grotto of the Nativity in nearby Bethlehem, and an unusual, uncoloured view of the interior of the Golden Gate (Gate of Mercy). The final three lithographs present two beautiful interiors of the Mosque of Omar and one of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. All sights depicted are described in the text.

François-Edmond Pâris (1806-93) commanded the 2nd Division of the French fleet in the Mediterranean when he visited Jerusalem. Leading primarily scientific missions, Pâris was a talented draughtsman who took an interest in naval architecture, steam engineering, and geography. Today, Pâris is considered the father of modern maritime ethnography; he played an important role in the modernisation of the National Maritime Museum in Paris.