page vignettes after F. C. and de Sève by Fessard (10s., and considerably more in morocco). La Fontaine. Fables Choisies, avec un nouveau commentaire de M. Coste. Paris, Cavelier, 1752, 2 parts in 1 vol., 16mo., pretty frontispiece by Legrand after Picart (3s.). La Fontaine. Fables Choisies, mises en vers par J. de La Fontaine. Paris, chez Desaint, Saillant et Durand, 17551759, 4 vols., folio, frontispiece with bust of La Fontaine after Oudry, finished by Dupuis and engraved by Cochin, portrait of Oudry after Largillière by Tardieu (to judge from so many subscription copies in National Libraries being without this portrait, it must be inferred that it does not form an integral part of the work, but was added afterwards; M. Morgand, in his catalogue for 1889, says: portrait d'Oudry ajouté), and 275 plates after Oudry by Aubert, Aveline, Baquoy, Beauvais, Beauvarlet, Cars, Chedel, Chenu, Chevillet, Cochin, Cousinet (Elisabeth), Dupuis, Duret, de Fehrt, Fessard, Flipart, Floding, Gaillard, Gallimard, Lebas, Legrand, Lemire, Lempereur, Marvie, Menil, Moitte, Ouvrier, Pasquier, Pelletier, Pitre-Martenasie, Poletnich, Prévost, Radigues, Riland, Rode, Salvador, Sornique, Surugue, Tardieu, and Teucher (£4 on ordinary or bluish paper, £6 to £8 on Dutch paper, £10 to £12 on large imperial paper, £20 to £30 on large Dutch paper, Atlas folio, and more in old morocco according to state and preservation). The impressions are first and best in those copies, having the ensign in the first plate of 171st fable before the inscription of "Le Singe et le Léopard." Stress should be laid on that fact, but copies with only the word "Leopard" on the ensign contain early impressions and are worth acquiring. Montenault, who edited the book, entrusted Cochin with the supervision of Oudry's designs, and if much could be advanced in favour of the delineation of the figures, the compositions as regards the drawings of the animals leave much to be desired. QuentinBauchart's large Dutch paper copy, in red morocco with dentelle by Derome père, 2400 frs.; Delbergue's copy in equal condition, 2550 frs. ; Benzon's copy, in green morocco with dentelle, and the arms of the maréchal de Montmorency-Luxembourg, 6100 frs.; Comte de Lignerolles' copy, in red morocco, with the arms of the duc d'Aumont, 6000 frs. (1894); Ch. Testard de St. Quentin's copy, large paper only, in old red morocco, 800 frs. (1894)-Oudry's 276 original drawings, executed between 1729 and 1734, and bound in 2 vols. in green morocco, were sold in the de Bure sale for 1800 frs., and resold in the Solar sale for 6100 frs. The purchaser, M. E. Pereire, disposed of them to M. L. Roederer of Reims for 30,000 frs. Cochin's retouched drawings of the figures were dispersed, and a certain number of them are now in M. Rodrigues' collection. Copies with the plates "gouachées" (coloured by hand in imitation of drawings) are not appreciated. La Fontaine. Fables Choisies . . A Paris, de l'imprimerie de Valade . . . 1782, 2 vols., fol., 276 plates copied from the previous Oudry edition; rare (£3 to £4). La Fontaine. Fables Choisies. avec un commentaire par M. Coste. Paris, Barbou, 1757, 2 parts, 12mo., engravings (58.). La Fontaine. Fables Choisies mises en vers, nouvelle édition imprimée et ornée de figures en taille-douce, d'après l'édition de Paris. Dresde, Walther, 1757-66, 4 vols., 8vo., frontispiece and 244 plates (60, 63, 64, and 57 respectively), designed and engraved by J. H. Meil (20s.). Paris, 1769, 2 vols., 8vo., La Fontaine. Fables Choisies frontispiece and vignette heading each fable (Cause's illustrations reversed and redone) (10s.). La Fontaine. Fables Choisies, mises en vers par J. de La Fontaine. A Leide, 1784-86, 6 vols., 8vo., frontispiece signed: B. Picart fecit 1724, and 275 plates after Oudry, designed and engraved (in reduced form) by J. Punt, Ă. Delfos, and Vinkelès (£2, and more on Dutch paper). Copies bearing the name of Van Gulik, and dated 1802, have only a new title, and the frontispiece after Vinkelès instead of Picart. La Fontaine. Fables Choisies, mises en vers par J. de La Fontaine, nouvelle édition, gravée en taille-douce, les figures par le S Fessard, le texte par le S Montulay, dédiée aux enfants de France. Paris, chez l'auteur, 176575, 6 vols., 8vo., engraved throughout by Montulay and Drouët, 6 embellished titles, frontispiece, one escutcheon heading Fessard's Epistle, the other La Fontaine's Poem, "A Monseigneur le Dauphin," 1 plate each to "La vie d'Esope" and "Eloge historique," 1 plate facing each fable, and 471 head and tail pieces, after Bardin, Bidault, Caresme, Desrais, Houël, Huet, Kobell, Leclère, Leprince, Loutherbourg, Meyer, and Monnet by Fessard (£2, and double and more in morocco, according to state and preservation). The first issue has always "chez l'auteur" on title, while in the second it is replaced by "chez Durand" or "Delauriers, papetier," in which case it is of very little value, the paper and impressions being indifferent. Leboeuf de Montgermont's copy in green morocco, by Derome, 720 frs. ; E. Quentin-Bauchart's copy in blue morocco, "à l'oiseau," by Derome, 530 frs., and resold in the Delbergue sale for 2200 frs. A dedication copy to the Dauphine (Marie Antoinette), with her arms on first 3 vols. ; those of "Mesdames on vols. 4 and 5, and the Dauphine's arms "reversed" on last vol. (all in red morocco), £30 (1895). La Fontaine. Fabulæ selectæ Fontani, e gallico in latinum authore J. B. Giraud. Rothomagi, 1775, 2 vols., 8vo., text Latin and French; head and tail pieces and woodcuts (5s.). The Duchesse d'Angoulême's copy in red morocco with her arms, 80 frs. (1895). La Fontaine. Fables Choisies, mises en vers par M. de La Fontaine. Bouillon, 1776, 4 vols., 8vo., frontispiece after that of Oudry, and 248 plates copied or imitated from. Oudry by Alard, Bertin, Crescent, and Savart, or not signed (10s.). Radziwill's copy in red morocco, 97 frs. La Fontaine. Fables Choisies, mises en vers par M. de La Fontaine. Genève (Cazin), 1777, 2 vols., 16mo., frontispiece by Delaunay after Marillier (38.). The Cazin edition, Londres, 1780, with the frontispiece by Delvaux after Marillier, is of similar value. La Fontaine. Fables de La Fontaine, avec figures.. ... Paris, Didot l'ainé, 1787, 6 vols., 16mo., vellum paper, frontispiece and 275 plates after Vivier by Simon and Coiny (£3, and more than double before the numbers). The plates without text appeared in parts limited to 500 copies. The text was also intended to be engraved, but after the first Fables it was discontinued. Renouard's copy having the rarissime etchings complete but one, which was not drawn, bound in blue morocco by Bradel, was sold for the trifling sum of 100 frs. Reprinted with the same plates in 6 vols., 16mo., and 4 vols., 8vo., 1796 (258.). La Fontaine. Fables . . . Paris, chez Renouard, 1795, 2 vols., 8vo., medal portrait on first title, and 12 plates after Moreau by Delvaux, Bosq, Ghendt, Trière, and Villerey (15s.). La Fontaine. Fables de La Fontaine. Paris, de l'imprimerie de P. Didot l'ainé, au palais national des sciences et des arts, an X. (1802), 2 vols., roy. fol., vellum paper, 12 pretty vignettes after Percier by Duplessi-Bertaux (20s. to 30s., and more with the unlettered proofs), 250 copies printed, 100 of them before letters. Two copies exist on vellum; one of them, with the original drawings inserted, was sold in 1816 for £170, and resold for £70 108. This edition is called "Edition du Louvre." La Fontaine. Fables, ornées de 216 figures en taille-douce, dédiées à la jeunesse. Leipsig, 1802, 3 vols., 8vo. (68.). La Fontaine. La Fontaine's Fables, now first translated from the French, by Robert Thomson, with elegant engraved figures. Paris, Chenu, 1806, 2 vols., 8vo., plates after Perdoux (68.). La Fontaine. Fables causides de La Fontaine en bers gascouns. A Bayonne, de l'Imprimerie de Paul FauvetDuhard, 1776, 8vo., engraved title and frontispiece, having La Fontaine's portrait, by Lemire after Moreau (10s., and much more with the etching of the frontispiece and before the date beneath the plate). At end there is the “Dictionnaire gascon et français." La Fontaine. Contes et Nouvelles. Amsterdam, Pierre Brunel, 1709 and 1718, 2 vols., 12mo., reproduction of R. de Hooghe's illustrations for the 1685 edition (58.). Another edition, 1732, of similar value. La Fontaine. Contes et Nouvelles. Amsterdam, Pierre Brunel, 1726, 2 vols., 12mo., frontispiece bearing an escutcheon chez Henri Desbordes, and 11 plates, not signed (58.). : La Fontaine. Contes et Nouvelles. A series of 38 plates (with stanzas of verses beneath each by the poet Roi), known under the name of "Suite de De Larmessin" (circa 1736), oblong folio. The plates are divided in the following order of artists, viz. After Boucher by De Larmessin: Le Magnifique, La Courtisane amoureuse, Le Calendrier des Vieillards, Le Fleuve Scammandre. After Eisen by Tardieu La Gageure des trois Commères, Le Cas de Conscience, Le Gascon. After Eisen by L. Le Grand : Promettre est un et tenir est un autre. After Lancret by De Larmessin: Les Remois, A Femme avare galant escroc, Le Gascon puni, Le petit Chien qui secoue de l'argent et des pierreries, Nicaise, Le Faucon, On ne s'avise jamais de tout, Les Deux Amis, Les Oies de Frère Philippe, Paté d'anguille, Les Troqueurs, La servante justifiée. After Le Clerc by De Larmessin: Le Rossignol, Le Faiseur d'Oreilles et le Raccommodeur des moules. After Laurin by Aveline L'Anneau de Hans Carvel. After Lorrain by D. Sornique La Chose impossible. After Le Mesle by Filloul Le Cuvier, La Clochette. After Paterre by Filloul La Courtisane amoureuse, La Matrone d'Ephèse, Le Cocu battu et content, Le Savetier, Le Baiser donné, In the execution of "A Femme avare galant escroc, Le Faucon, Le Gascon puni, Le petit Chien, Les Remois, On ne s'avise jamaise de tout, Les Oies de Frère Philippe, La Servante justifiée, Le Rossignol," and "Frère Luce," De Larmessin was assisted by Schmidt, and "Nicaise " was engraved by the latter (£40 to £50). The series complete is of the utmost rarity. La Fontaine. Contes de La Fontaine. S. 1., 1743,2 vols., 12mo., pretty frontispiece, not signed, 2 fleurons on titles, and 2 arabesque vignettes (5s.). La Fontaine. Contes et Nouvelles en vers Amsterdam (Paris, David jeune), 1743 or 1745, 2 vols., post 8vo., titles in red and black, frontispiece signed Lebas, sometimes repeated in vol. 2, one headpiece La Fontaine writing after Cochin by Fessard, 2 fleurons on titles and 69 vignettes after Cochin by Chedel, Fessard, and Ravenet (not signed) (128.). Of all the illustrations of La Fontaine's Contes, these are the least suggestive, though original and spirited in composition. Some of the vignettes are to be met with in artist's proofs without text. Three of the vignettes, viz. A Femme avare galant escroc, On ne s'avise jamais de tout, and Le Remois, originally designed by Cochin, were substituted by Lancret's compositions engraved by de Larmessin (in reduced form). E. Quentin-Bauchart's copy in old red morocco, 1350 frs. (absurd); Delbergue's large-paper copy, 720 frs. (overpaid). M. Morgand marks M. E. Paillet's copy in red morocco, by Derome, 500 frs. La Fontaine. Contes et Nouvelles en vers. Amsterdam, 1747, 2 vols., post 8vo., fleuron on titles, frontispiece and 7 unlettered and unsigned plates (3 in first and 4 in second volume) (158. to 20s.). La Fontaine. Contes et Nouvelles en vers. Amsterdam (Paris, Barbou), 1762, 2 vols., post 8vo., portraits of La Fontaine after Rigault, of Eisen after Vespré, both by Ficquet, 2 fleurons on titles, 2 large vignettes on blank pages, on the reverse of one "Joconde," and on the other "Les Oies de Frère Philippe," 2 pieces heading first tale in each volume, 52 tailpieces (23 and 29 respectively, the last but one comprising Choffard's portrait), all signed by Choffard, except 2 tailpieces beneath " La Clochette" (p. 221, vol. 1) |