Nicolas Henri TARDIEU (Paris 1674 - 1749) "Réformation de la Justice" Original etching and engraving from a subject by Charles Le Brun (1619 - 1690) drawn by Jean Baptiste Massé (1687 - 1767) part of the collection entitled "La Grande Galerie de Versailles et les deux salons qui accompagnent, peint par Charles LeBrun, premier peintre de Louis XIV, dessinés par Jean-Baptiste Massé, peintre, et gravés sous ses yeux par les meilleurs maîtres du tems." printed in Paris by the Imprimerie Royale in 1752 and of which it is the table n ° 26. Beautiful specimen printed on a large portion of laid paper bearing a literal watermark, with large margins beyond the imprint of the plate, slightly burnished at the edges and with a small tear restored to the right margin that does not affect the engraved field, overall in excellent state of conservation. Charles Le Brun spent ten years of his shining career in the decoration project of the great halls of the Palace of Versailles by painting the cycle of the most famous episodes of the reign of Louis XIV and the sovereign himself promoted the idea of ​​translating the work of his favorite artist. The publishing company began only in 1723 and was entrusted to Jean Baptiste Massé who invested all his personal assets in it and worked eight years to draw the subjects in the mirror so that they could be reproduced faithfully to the originals. In 1752 the "Grande Galerie del Versailles .." was born, considered one of the most prestigious and refined editorial works of the 18th century. Bibliography: Portalis - Beraldi "Les Graveurs du XVIII siecle" Paris 1882 vol.3 pag. 583 n ° 8. Measurements in mm: 486 x 370