Details
VOLTAIRE, François Marie Arouet de. Romans et Contes. Bouillon: La Société Typographique, 1778.
4 parts in 3 volumes, 8° (205 x 125mm). Half-titles, titles with engraved vignette, instructions to the binder (4pp., bound at end of vol. III), portrait of the author by Cathelin after La Tour, 57 engraved plates by Patas, Deny, Dambrun, Baquoy and others after C. Monnet, J. M. Moreau, P.-C. Marillier and Martini, including two frontispieces, all in the state before numbers, engraved headpieces throughout. (Lacking index, 1 leaf, for L'homme aux quarante écus, vol. II with neat repair to lower blank margin of R4 and slight stain to lower margin of C1-3.) Contemporary red morocco gilt, covers with triple fillet border, spines gilt in six compartments, lettered in two, g.e.
First edition of this attractive edition with Monnet's illustrations, with all plates in the state before numbers. Ray declares that "This book belongs to Monnet. . . In Voltaire's stories he found subjects after his own heart", and that Monnet's illustrations for Candide are the "best contemporary illustrations for this masterpiece". In the present copy, the plate of the two girls being chased by monkeys is in the "couverte" state. The "Avis au relieur" is apparently the second issue: it corrects some of the misorderings present in the "avis" of lot ?? (where the instructions often do not tally either with the numbering of the plates themselves or the sequence of the stories). The story L'homme aux quarante écus is separately paginated and illustrated by Marillier: Ray suggests that its inclusion in work may have been an afterthought. Cohen-de Ricci 1038-9 ("Très belles illustrations, pourvu que les gravures soient avant les numéros"); Ray French 35. (3)
4 parts in 3 volumes, 8° (205 x 125mm). Half-titles, titles with engraved vignette, instructions to the binder (4pp., bound at end of vol. III), portrait of the author by Cathelin after La Tour, 57 engraved plates by Patas, Deny, Dambrun, Baquoy and others after C. Monnet, J. M. Moreau, P.-C. Marillier and Martini, including two frontispieces, all in the state before numbers, engraved headpieces throughout. (Lacking index, 1 leaf, for L'homme aux quarante écus, vol. II with neat repair to lower blank margin of R4 and slight stain to lower margin of C1-3.) Contemporary red morocco gilt, covers with triple fillet border, spines gilt in six compartments, lettered in two, g.e.
First edition of this attractive edition with Monnet's illustrations, with all plates in the state before numbers. Ray declares that "This book belongs to Monnet. . . In Voltaire's stories he found subjects after his own heart", and that Monnet's illustrations for Candide are the "best contemporary illustrations for this masterpiece". In the present copy, the plate of the two girls being chased by monkeys is in the "couverte" state. The "Avis au relieur" is apparently the second issue: it corrects some of the misorderings present in the "avis" of lot ?? (where the instructions often do not tally either with the numbering of the plates themselves or the sequence of the stories). The story L'homme aux quarante écus is separately paginated and illustrated by Marillier: Ray suggests that its inclusion in work may have been an afterthought. Cohen-de Ricci 1038-9 ("Très belles illustrations, pourvu que les gravures soient avant les numéros"); Ray French 35. (3)