Du Maroc Aux Indes: Voyages En Orient (French Edition)

'Yes, I saw the Orient and I went no further, for I wish to return. [...]. Of all the possible debaucheries, travel is the greatest I know; this is the one that was invented when people had tired of all the others. I think it is more pernicious to peace of mind and the pocketbook than wine or gambling. At times it is boring, this is true, but there is immense pleasure as well. The sight of the Sphinx was one of the most dizzying pleasures of my life, and if I didn't die on the spot, it is because neither my horse nor God so wished. The Dead Sea was also a far greater pleasure than its name, 'Dead Sea or Asphaltite Lake' which I had seen on maps for some twenty years, suggested. Unfortunately, we were not able to go to Persia!' (Gustave Flaubert, 1851). Artists and writers from the 18th and 19th centuries tell their impressions of the Orient, with illustrations by painters of their times that serve as concrete representations of their words. An introduction describes the often harsh conditions of these voyages, and all the tiny details to be considered in advance to avoid disaster. This book also contains biographies of the authors and artists presented. Different aspects of this Italian art which drew its sources from the Renaissance.