CHOPIN JEAN-MARIE (1796-1871) Russie [Russia]. Paris: Firmin Didot Frères, 1838.

Two volumes, octavo. 21.5 x 13.5 x 3.5 cm. In French. Vol. 1. [4], 384 pp.; 5 leaves of maps, 66 leaves of illustrations; Vol. 2. [4], 385-672, [6], 32, 48, 144 pp.; 4 leaves of maps, 87 leaves of illustrations. A richly illustrated edition containing numerous maps and engravings depicting the landscapes of Russia, architectural monuments, peoples in national dress, Russian monarchs and more. In two contemporary half-leather bindings. Gilt and blind tooling on the spines, marbled paper on the boards. In good condition. Wear to the bindings, minor losses of paper on the upper cover, a corner of the blank margin of the half-title trimmed (vol. 1), minor soiling, foxing. First edition. Jean-Marie Chopin (1796-1871) was a French artist, ethnographer and literary scholar, a researcher of the Caucasus and the personal secretary and librarian of Prince Alexander Borisovich Kurakin, the Russian envoy to the French court. The work was published in the Didot brothers’ famous series ‘L’Univers pittoresque’ [The Picturesque Universe], comprising several dozen volumes. The maps show the Caspian, Black and Baltic Seas and the Pacific Ocean, as well as the connection between Asia and North America. The engravings depict historical figures (Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, etc.), cities (Moscow, Saint Petersburg, etc.), architectural monuments, flora and fauna, as well as folk costumes and types.