1838 ❧ NASH, JOSEPH. 1809-1878. Architecture of the Middle Ages Drawn from Nature and on Stone by Joseph Nash. London: Thomas Maclean, 1838. Folio (545 x 363 mm). Tinted lithographic title-page, lithographic dedication leaf to the Earl of Aberdeen, and 25 fine tinted lithographic plates depicting ecclesiastical and secular medieval architecture in England and France. Original 1/2 olive morocco, spine lettered in gilt, front cover with cathedral device framing the title all gilt. FIRST EDITION of Nash's first major work. Before embarking on his monumental, four-volume Mansions of England in the Olden Time (1839-1849), watercolor painter and lithographer Joseph Nash produced this elegant compilation of medieval architectural wonders. Nash trained directly under the prominent architectural draftsman Augustus Charles Pugin (see lot xx Pyne Royal Residences and lot xxx Microcosm) accompanying him to Paris to record the gothic highlights of the French capital. The 25 plates within Architecture of the Middle Ages demonstrate Nash's exceptional command of the tinted lithographic medium. Rather than rendering dry, clinical blueprints, Nash populated these historic structures with beautifully costumed, romanticized figures, such as the praying nun and child depicted here on the title-page, to breathe narrative, historical life into the gothic stone settings. Subjects featured include breathtaking interiors and details from Westminster Abbey, Windsor Castle, and the cathedral churches of Abbeville and Rouen. Abbey, Scenery 23; Abbey, Life 38. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing