Mau, August; Kelsey, Francis W. [Translator into English, Author of the Preface]

Pomeii Its Life and Art [Pompeii in Leben und Kunst]

New York: The Macmillan Company, 1899. TRUE FIRST EDITION. Hardcover. An Essentially Fine copy of the first American edition, first printing, with some surface damage to the upper spine and some scattered pencil marks to the leaves, and BEING THE TRUE FIRST EDITION of this renowned work by the great German Art Historian and Archaeologist August Mau [1840 – 1909]. The Volume is RICHLY ILLUSTRATED, having a Frontispiece and eleven (11) additional Plates, each being tissue-guarded with each tissue guard providing the following Plate's title, six (6) Plans, and approximately two-hundred and sixty-three (263) additional illustrations scattered through the text. Mau is best-known for his excavation and study of Pompeii starting around 1860 and, together with his noted colleagues, Wolfgang Helbig and Armin von Gerken, played a major role in uncovering the remains of the city over a period of more than 25 years, the great city, as well as Herculaneum and the surrounding area, having destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, a feat which revealed a snapshot of Roman Life at that time. Per Oxford Reference: "German archaeologist best known for his work at Pompeii, Italy. Few details of his early life are known, but he joined the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, where he spent many years advancing the scientific nature of archaeology. He began excavating at Pompeii around 1860 and, together with colleagues Wolfgang Helbig and Armin von Gerken, played a fundamental role in uncovering the remains of the city over a period of more than 25 years. Mau's most long lasting contribution was a classification of Greek and Roman wall paintings into four main categories: the Incrustation Style (c.300–80 bc), comprising simple decoration that imitated coloured marble; the Architectural Style (c.80–10 bc), which was architecturally detailed, with realistic paintings of columns and ledges in correct perspective and with views of sacred landscapes visible between the columns as a mixture of illusion and reality; the Ornate Style (c.10 bc–ad 60), which treated the flat wall as a painting rather than a window and with mythological scenes presented in a panel against a monochrome background; and the Intricate Style (c.ad 60+), which combined architectural detail with scenes painted in frames and panels within the larger architectural scheme. Mau published many books and papers, notably Pompeii: its life and art (1899, New York: Macmillan)." The works translator from German to English was Francis W. Kelsey. Himself a man of great fame, Kelsey served as Professor of Latin Language and Literature at the University of Michigan from 1889 until his death in 1927 and made Michigan's Latin department a major figure in the field. He visited Pompeii and he and Mau became good friends. Kelsey and his Publisher translated the text of Mau's "Pompeii in Leben und Kunst" from German to English so quickly that the English version of the book (the book described herein) appeared before the German first edition was published. RARE INDEED.
[NOTE: A few stray loose bits of the dust jacket, as well as a relevant Article from the Sunday, May 18, 1902, are loosely laid in. The leaves show some scattered light pencil marks, particularly to the index leaves.]. Fine / good +. Item #3621

Price: $2,250.00