LASSUS, Album de Villard de Honnecourt, 1858

Beautiful facsimile reproduction of the famous manuscript of Villard de Honnecourt, a 13th-century architect.
This manuscript, preserved at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, is a valuable source on the construction techniques and know-how of medieval builders. It contains sketches and notes that reveal the empirical and artistic approach to Gothic architecture. Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Lassus, architect and fervent defender of the revival of medieval art in the 19th century, annotated this publication, which was then finalized by Alfred Darcel after his death.
The work is part of the movement of rediscovery and promotion of Gothic heritage, led in particular by Viollet-le-Duc and his contemporaries.