Details
TRAVIÈS, Edouard (1809-1865) [?and Jean Louis TIRPENNE (1801-?)]. [Les Oiseaux les plus remarquables par leurs formes et leurs couleurs. Scènes variées de leurs moeurs & de leurs habitudes. Paris: Ledot aîné (or Berrieux) and London: E.Gambart & Co. (or Victor Delarue), ca. 1857].
Large 2° (590 x 420mm). 74 (of 79) VERY FINE HAND-COLOURED LITHOGRAPHIC PLATES by Traviès, plus an inserted plate of butterflies from another series by Traviès, printed by Lemercier. (Occasional light spotting to some margins.) Contemporary green half morocco gilt, cloth on upper cover blocked in gilt with title, original printed paper upper wrapper bound in as title.
"SOME OF THE PLATES ARE SIMPLY WONDERFUL, AND ARE AMONG THE BEST PORTRAITS OF BIRDS EVER PAINTED" (McGill/Wood). Travies was perhaps the first artist to capture the character of individual birds. This, together with the wealth of detail in the backgrounds, give great charm to the images and lift them above mere ornithological illustration. Nissen lists the work under Traviès and J.L.Tirpenne, but is not clear why. It appears that this scarce volume was issued in serial form as a suite of plates, without title or text, in various states and at least two editions. Plate 67 La Pie is found in two editions: printed by Becquet, or (as here) Lemercier; the publishers' names also vary and no order of precedence can as yet be given to these variations. Copies rarely contain the full compliment of plates; the present copy contains a suite of plates numbered from 1-75, but the plate numbered 60 of butterflies is from another series by Traviès. A comparison with the last three substantially complete copies to appear at auction indicates that plate 60 was never published, and was bound in later. The existence of the previously unrecorded printed wrapper in this copy, indicates that copies were issued in wrappers. McGill/Wood p.601; Fine Bird Books p.111; Nissen IVB 946 (giving Tirpenne as co-author).
Large 2° (590 x 420mm). 74 (of 79) VERY FINE HAND-COLOURED LITHOGRAPHIC PLATES by Traviès, plus an inserted plate of butterflies from another series by Traviès, printed by Lemercier. (Occasional light spotting to some margins.) Contemporary green half morocco gilt, cloth on upper cover blocked in gilt with title, original printed paper upper wrapper bound in as title.
"SOME OF THE PLATES ARE SIMPLY WONDERFUL, AND ARE AMONG THE BEST PORTRAITS OF BIRDS EVER PAINTED" (McGill/Wood). Travies was perhaps the first artist to capture the character of individual birds. This, together with the wealth of detail in the backgrounds, give great charm to the images and lift them above mere ornithological illustration. Nissen lists the work under Traviès and J.L.Tirpenne, but is not clear why. It appears that this scarce volume was issued in serial form as a suite of plates, without title or text, in various states and at least two editions. Plate 67 La Pie is found in two editions: printed by Becquet, or (as here) Lemercier; the publishers' names also vary and no order of precedence can as yet be given to these variations. Copies rarely contain the full compliment of plates; the present copy contains a suite of plates numbered from 1-75, but the plate numbered 60 of butterflies is from another series by Traviès. A comparison with the last three substantially complete copies to appear at auction indicates that plate 60 was never published, and was bound in later. The existence of the previously unrecorded printed wrapper in this copy, indicates that copies were issued in wrappers. McGill/Wood p.601; Fine Bird Books p.111; Nissen IVB 946 (giving Tirpenne as co-author).