(Kraus, Johann Ulrich). Labyrinte de Versailles. 25 Bl. With copper title and 40 copper plates (39 numbered in the plate) depicting baroque water wells according to Sebastian le Clerc. 19.5 x 15.5 cm. Leather d. C. (something rubbed and toasted) with floral gilding and gold-embossed RSchild. (Augsburg c. 1715). VD17 12:644437V. Graesse IV, 48. Fabula docet No. 81. Not with Thieme-Becker and in the Ornamestichkatalog Berlin. – Rare German-French edition, the French first print was published in 1677 in the Imprimerie Royale in Paris. Exemplary with the complete copper sequence as well as the complete text (title, preface, description of the maze, explanation of the layout, text of the fables in French and German). At the suggestion of Charles Perrault (1628-1703) by Sebastian Le Clerc (1637-1714) the magnificent fountains from the labyrinth of Versailles were engraved in copper, Perrult wrote the explanatory texts and Isaac de Benserade (1612-1691) the metric four-liner with meanings according to Jean de la Fontaine and the fables Aesops. its labyrinth description as a 'leader' through a remarkable garden architecture, less than glorification of the royal splendor at the court of the Sun King. He had his book, which also contained the Fabelepigramme Benserades, illustrated with copper engravings by Sebastien Le Clerc. Johann Ulrich Kraus, who also liked to be oriented towards the stylistic model of Le Clerc in other works, very closely imitated the illustrations of the Frenchman in side-conversion and had Perrault's text translated by Andreas Müller for the "Ergoetzlichkeit-Liebenden Leser" (Fabula docet). The labyrinth, which was once famous and richly decorated, was built between 1672 and 1681 in the Petit Parc of the castle and covered an area of more than one hectare. All the 39 fountains were painted in color, the animals made of lead were symbolized by themes from the fables of the Äsop. In contrast to other labyrinths of the Baroque, the goal was to choose the way through it in such a way that all the fountains were once visited and admired. As part of a redesign of the park, the labyrinth was removed in 1774. – A bit finger- or sticky, at the end with a smaller moisture spot in the upper right corner. Title with widely over-glued contemporary ownership as well as the additional year "1715". Loose beige a leaf with hs. Big once-in-a-lifetime pyramid shape.