LETTRES À ÉMILIE SUR LA MYTHOLOGIE

(FRENCH ILLUSTRATED BOOKS). (BINDINGS - CANAPE). DEMOUSTIER, CHARLES-ALBERT

Verlag: Printed by P. Didot l'aîné for Ant. Aug. Renouard, Paris, 1809

Beschreibung

215 x 130 mm. (8 1/2 x 5 1/4"). Three volumes. VERY ELEGANT DARK BLUE STRAIGHT-GRAIN MOROCCO, GILT, BY CANAPE, covers framed by Neoclassical roll featuring swans and an urn, gilt supralibros of Isidoro Fernandez at center, raised bands, spine compartments gilt in the Bozerian style, with flowers radiating from a central circle, gilt lettering, turn-ins gilt with fan roll, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. With frontispiece portrait of the author in two states, and 70 ENGRAVED PLATES BY MOREAU LE JEUNE, consisting of the 36 called for and a second state (before letters) of 34 of the plates. A Large Paper Copy. Cohen-de Ricci 283; Ray, "French," p. 88; Brunet II, 593; Vicaire III, 174. â Spines vaguely darkened (but the leather and gilt still very lustrous), joints of volume I with just a hint of wear, very soft offsetting from engravings, but AN EXTREMELY FINE COPY nevertheless--clean, fresh, and bright internally, with wonderful impressions of the plates, and in sparkling bindings that look most attractive on the shelf. This epistolary retelling of classical myths was published by one of the greatest French bibliophiles, illustrated by the man Ray calls "the greatest name among French illustrators of the 18th century," and bound by the celebrated Georges Canape for an important Spanish collector in the style of the period. Antoine Augustin Renouard's publications were renowned for their accuracy and beauty, and according to Cohen-de Ricci, the publisher particularly distinguished this work, declaring it impossible to conceive of a more elegant book with more profuse and pleasant illustrations. The animated and intricately detailed engravings here are the work of Jean-Michel Moreau, known as Moreau le jeune (1741-1814), deemed by Gordon Ray to be "the greatest name among French illustrators of the 18th century." He provided illustrations for Diderot's encyclopedia and engraved works for François Boucher, in addition to illustrating the works of Rousseau and Voltaire. According to the Getty Museum, "publishers sought him out for his powers of observation and ability to capture nuances of gesture, pose, and light." Ray considers the plates here some of the most successful of Moreau's later career. In them, the artist brings to life the Olympians, demi-gods, myriad nymphs, and human lovers from Desmoustier's "Letters to Emily," in which the author recounts tales from Ovid and other classical sources to a young lady pupil. First published in a series from 1786-98, it is the highlight of the brief career of Charles-Albert Desmoustier (1760-1801), a lawyer-turned-writer who also produced comedies and operas. Our copy was bound for Spanish bibliophile Isidoro Fernandez (1878-1963) by Georges Canape (1864-1940), one of the great French binders of his day. He produced consistently high-quality finishing in a distinguished career that lasted nearly 50 years. After taking over his father's workshop in 1894, he created both the Art Nouveau-style bindings popularized by Marius-Michel and classical revival bindings like ours, putting out volumes that, in the words of Duncan & DeBartha, were consistently "executed with superb technical precision." Here, he has employed Neoclassical elements in the distinctive roll framing the covers, and has tooled the spine compartments in the style of Bozerian, with fleurons created by a central circle radiating lancets and floral tools, against a stippled background. It is a binding of the highest quality and artistry, and in splendid condition. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers ST19333

Bibliografische Details

Titel: LETTRES À ÉMILIE SUR LA MYTHOLOGIE

Verlag: Printed by P. Didot l'aîné for Ant. Aug. Renouard, Paris

Erscheinungsdatum: 1809