This stunning engraving of the Great St. Bernard Pass appeared in Baron de Zurlauben's Tableaux Topographiques, Pittoresques, Physiques, Historiques, Moralaux, Politiques, Litteraires, de la Suisse (1780-88). After a career as a mercenary and an adviser, interpreter, and secretary for Louis XV, Zurlauben (1720-99) delved into research on the history of Switzerland, producing multiple volumes on its military. He followed that project with the five-volume Tableaux Topographiques, a pictorial history of Switzerland illustrated with more than 400 engravings. The engraving here shows the Great St. Bernard Pass near the Swiss-Italian border. The title notes that this is the valley one travels through to arrive at the Great St. Bernard Hospice in Valais. The famous hospice and hostel dates back to the 9th century and is the origin of the dog breed of the same name. In the late 17th century, the dog breed was created via cross-breeding, with the dogs serving as hospice guards and rescue animals for travelers lost in the mountains. The view features a monk and travelers in the foreground, and birds are cleverly used to identify Aiguille des Angroniettes, Mont Velan, and Pointe de Baransson. Drawn by Alexandre-Charles Besson and engraved by Claude Fessard.

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Condition: A

A dark impression on a bright sheet.