Paris, chez Huguier, circa 1735.
Full marbled light brown calf, spine ribbed and richly decorated, red morocco lettering pieces, sprinkled edges. Contemporary binding.
318 x 238 mm.
12 plates 4to engraved by Le Bas and Ravenet after the drawings of Boucher. 1. Gaigne Petit – 2. A Racomoder les vieux souflets – 3. Des noisettes au litron – 4. Balais Balais – 5. Charbon Charbon – 6. A. Ramonner du Haut en bas – 7. A la crème – 8. Des patez – 9. Chaudronier chaudronier – 10. Des radix des raves – 11. La Laittiere – 12. Au vinaigre.
This collection is of the utmost interest for the knowledge of professions and costumes under Louis XV’s reign. Some of the engravings are true fashion prints.
– [Bound with]: Londerseel, Assuerus van. (Antwerp 1572 – Rotterdam 1635).
Probably pupil of Peter van des Borcht. We particularly owe him woodcuts in the taste of Virgil Solis for biblical figures. We also owe him engravings of ornaments for jewelers, as well as this remarkable suite of masks and dancers composed of 9 full-page engravings, unrecorded to this day.
– [Followed with]: Actions glorieuses de S. A. S. Charles Duc de Lorraine, 13 plates.
– [Then]: Médailles du Règne de Louis XV (par Godonnesche ou Fleurimont), 56 plates.
– [And] : Recueil de différentes Charges dessigné à Rome par Carloo Vanloo, Peintre du Roy, c. 1737. 12 plates. 3 pl. with foxing.
First issue of this superb suite of 12 full-length portraits of men from foreign nations, engraved by Le Bas and Ravenet after Van Loo.
– 30 plates of various subjects and portraits of the Marquise du Châtelet and of Voltaire, engraved by Fessard, J. P. Le Bas, Frère, Surugue, Aveline, after Jeaurat, Boucher, Wouvermans, Téniers, Watteau, etc.
– [Finally]: Bouchardon. Études prises dans le bas peuple, ou les cris de Paris, 1737-1746.
4to. 60 plates.
This rare collection is composed of 5 series of 12 plates each, depicting the types of the different merchants and ambulant workers of Paris. These plates, drawn by Bouchardon, were engraved by Caylus and finished by Fessard. It is very rare to find a complete suite with the 60 engravings.
First suite, 1737. Et se vendent à Paris chez Fessard. 1 small stain on 1 pl.
Second suite, 1737. Chez Fessard.
Third suite, 1738. Chez Fessard.
Fourth suite, 1742. Chez Fessard.
Fifth suite, 1746. A Paris chez Joullain.
“Beautiful collection due to the Comte de Caylus” (Cohen).
The Comte de Caylus’ signature, thanks to whom we owe this collection, is still visible, on certain plates.
The fifth suite appears here before the numbers, as in the famous Charles Cousin, Lord Carnavon’s copy, listed by Cohen in morocco by Hardy.
The superb illustration, mounted on guards, represents the most beautiful suite of drawings executed by Bouchardon.
Mixing in those elegance and realism, this great sculptor excels in the representation of very diverse and lively attitudes and then reproduces in a very personal and picturesque way the so multifaceted world of the small ambulant trades of Paris at the beginning of the 18th century: porteur d’eau, vendeur de moulins, écosseuse de pois, écureuse, lanterne magique, vendeur de lardoirs, vinaigre, vendeuse de cerneaux, de petits pâtés, de pommes cuites au four, porteur d’eau, crocheteur, cureur de puits, raccomodeur de seaux et de souflets, mort aux rats, peaux de lapin, lacets, cotterets, balais, café, barbier, vielleux, diseuse de bonne aventure, tonnelier, crieuse de vieux chapeaux etc… (water carrier, mills salesman, fortuneteller,…)
Beautifully executed plates, very pure and wide-margined.
Remarkable and unique collection of 192 engravings on very wide strong paper from the 17th and 18th centuries probably gathered and bound circa 1750 for the king Louis XV or his close entourage as demonstrated by the fleur de lys surmounted with the royal crown stamped at the bottom of the spine.
The engravings were costing 64 livres, a considerable price in the 18th century and the binding 4 livres.
From Edouard Rahir’s library with ex-libris sold at the price of 6 000 F on May 7, 1935 (n°732).
