BAR, Jacques-Charles [Giacomo Carlo Rabelli]. Mascarades Monastiques et Religieuses de toutes les Nations du Globe, Représentées par des figures coloriées dans la plus exacte vérité, avec l’abrégé historique, chronologique et critique de chaque ordre, enrichi de notes sur l’origine de toutes ces pieuses folies ; par Giacomo Carlo Rabelli. Dédié à la République Française, par l’Auteur.

Rare first edition of this anticlerical essay illustrated with 26 plates.

Cohen 111; Brunet, IV, 1070-1071.

Deluxe copy on vellum paper.

‘Part I (the only one published): XII-254 pp., plus 26 plates drawn by Bar and engraved by himself in ink wash painting” (Cohen, 111).

« This is the beginning of a reduction of the great work described above. Rabelli is only Bar’s Italian anagram ». (Cohen, who values basic copies from 80 to 100 F OR, which places this illustrated among the significant books of the 18^th century).

« This plates were engraved by Bar in ink wash painting and were hand-coloured by himself.

During the Revolution, as a precaution, Bar changed his name to Rabelli and called his book les Mascarades monastiques. He also published under this title a reduced edition which we will find described here. »

Cohen only describes one copy illustrated with 26 colored plates without specifying the print run: “La Bedoyère, today at the B.n.F.”.

Outstanding copy, untrimmed, illustrated with 55 engravings – 25 hand-colored, 30 in black, including 3 in triplicate, 23 in duplicate, 2 engravings are engraved on blue paper.

It bears the famous blue ex-libris, n212, cyphered LM.