Paris, Didot Jeune, 1791.
Large 4to of 163 pp. and 4 coloured plates out of pagination.
Bound in citron morocco, large gilt decorated borders, spine ribbed and decorated with gilt fleurons and Greek borders at top and foot, gilt inner border, blue watered silk doublures and endleaves, gilt edges. Contemporary binding.
329 x 248 mm.
Fine edition printed on Didot’s presses and illustrated with 4 large stipple engravings in first state after Schall by Bonnefoy, Demonchy, Madame Demonchy and Colibert.
Cohen, Guide de l’amateur de livres à gravures du XVIIIe siècle, p. 582.
This is the story of one of the most charming myth of classical antiquity.
Based on patterns we find in any popular traditions of the ancient world, it was widespread in literature and Greek art. The purest jewel of the Alexandrian poetry, this legend is found in accounts of the Middle-Ages and the Renaissance.
La Fontaine gets his inspiration from the “Metamorphoses” of Apuleus and develops it with new episodes revealing his talent through a personal tone and a half-precious half-ironic grace. The work keeps this mysterious aspect of the legend but also plunges its roots into modern reality.
The author, fine mind of the 17th century, tells the story of Psyché’s love to three of his friends in Versailles and includes a detailed description of the places. The three friends are no one else but Racine, Boileau and Molière.
As a conclusion, La Fontaine strikes up a hymn to voluptuous pleasure and declares his love for everything beautiful: “I like the game, love, books, music, the town and the countryside, in short everything…”
Exceptional copy printed on very large vellum paper, with wide margins, preserved in a sumptuous contemporary citron morocco binding, a rare condition for this work, despite some light foxing on few leaves.
Handwritten mention of Joseph de Serre on the first flyleaf, ex-libris of Paul Bazille on the following one.
See less information
