Paris, L. Curmer, 49 rue Richelieu, 1838.
Large in-8 [254 x 161 mm] with lvi pp. 315 pp. 1 frontispiece, 1 portrait, 1 map and 30 plates for Paul et Virginie; La Chaumière indienne occupies pp. 317-418 with 4 plates; La Flore de Paul et Virginie occupies pp. 419-458; (14) pp. The 37 engravings are protected by serpents.
Bound in full red morocco, smooth spine and very richly decorated covers with large orientalist gilt plates, gilt roulette on the edges, gilt inner roulette, gilt edges, white moiré endpapers. Contemporary binding attributed to Simier.
Famous edition of Paul et Virginie, considered as one of the most beautiful productions of the romantic period.
Carteret, III, 532; Vicaire, VII, 42-48.
Following Paul et Virginie: La Chaumière indienne and La Flore de Paul et Virginie.
The abundant illustration is composed of about 450 vignettes in the text, drawn by Meissonier, Français, Tony Johannot, Isabey, Paul Huet, Marville, Steinheil, … woodcut by Lavoignat, Brévière, Porret,… 29 plates out of text drawn and woodcut by the same artists, 7 portraits engraved on steel by Cousin, Pelée, Pigeot and Revel and a coloured map of the Ile de France.
“The publisher wanted ‘Paul et Virginie’ to be properly bound by binders of his choice, ‘very neat bindings, similar to the work, of moderate price, bindings in basane, mutton, calf, morocco, shagreen, Russian leather, vellum, silk, moire, velvet, etc.; half-bindings and cardboards, therefore, bindings at all prices, but we have provided a magnificent and all special binding. M Simier, the king’s bookbinder, is in charge of this work.
Alas! almost all these copies bound in their time are very pitted, especially the out-of-text engravings, and these damp stains are the reason why amateurs, with good reason, prefer to put together a beautiful copy in a modern binding“. (Carteret).
A very fine copy of great freshness, in a magnificent red morocco binding with a large gilt plate “a l’Indienne” attributable to Simier.
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