RAYET (Olivier) - Lot 216

RAYET (Olivier) Puy-l'Évêque, 1847 - 1887. French archaeologist and Hellenist. A former member of the École française d'Athènes, he devoted his work to Greek archaeology and ancient topography. After several missions to Greece and excavations in Milet, he was appointed to the Bibliothèque nationale, then deputy director of the École pratique des hautes études, before teaching at the Collège de France. L.A.S. "O. Rayet" to a journalist or literary critic. Paris, October 16 [no year], 2 pp. in-8. Beautiful letter concerning the dissemination of the teaching of Antiquity and the popularization of archaeology among students. Returning from a trip, Rayet warmly thanks his correspondent for an article published in La République about his work Les Monuments de l'art antique. In particular, he wrote: "Your notice gave me great pleasure [...] because of the ideas you express in the last paragraph. These ideas are entirely my own", before explaining that he had deliberately reduced the price of his book as much as possible, "even if the publisher's profits and my own remuneration were reduced to very little". Rayet insists on his desire to make antiquity accessible to high-school students: "I'm convinced that high-school students will only understand and love antiquity if we put monuments in front of their eyes". He regrets, however, that those in charge of secondary education at the Ministry do not yet fully share these convictions. A very interesting letter that bears witness to the pedagogical and intellectual debates surrounding the teaching of archaeology and the classical humanities in Third Republic France. A fine account of efforts to democratize access to ancient art and archaeological illustration in school libraries. Beautifully signed by Olivier Rayet.