Details
[LEFEBVRE-DURUFLÉ, Noël-Jacques (1792-1877).] Excursion sur les côtes et dans les ports de Normandie. Paris: Jules Didot Ainé for J. F. Ostervald, [1823-1826].
2° (460 x 286mm). Title, descriptions, table of contents, 40 AQUATINT VIEWS, PRINTED IN COLOUR AND DELICATELY FINISHED BY HAND TO RESEMBLE WATERCOLOURS by Thales and Newton Fielding, G. Reeve, Paul Legrand, Salathé, Himely and Hegui after Luttringshausen, Bonington, Ronmy, Noël, Francia, Copley Fielding, Grenier, Gilbert, Ulrich, Regnier and Léopold Leprince. (Plates with outer edge of platemark just trimmed, not affecting image but shaving printer's imprint in 16 plates, a few plates with barely-perceptible marginal smudging.) Contemporary red straight-grained morocco, covers with gilt border incorporating classically-inspired palmette and stylised floral rolls divided by triple fillets, Botfield arms in the centre, the spine in six compartments with raised bands, lettered in one, the others with floral decoration, turn-ins with stylised foliate roll, g.e., by C. Smith (front cover scuffed, extremities very lightly rubbed).
A FINE COPY OF THE FIRST COMPLETE EDITION OF THIS PICTORIAL SURVEY OF NORTHERN FRANCE. Barbier reports that the first three parts were published under the title of Voyage pittoresque dans les ports et sur les côtes de France, although he gives no further details. He also mentions that the first part, on Rouen, was published separately by Osterwald in 1823, and consisted of 6 plates and 14 leaves of text. These parts issues perhaps account for the erratic signatures of the text leaves. Although the order of the plates and their descriptions follows that laid down in the table, many of the signatures on the descriptions follow no coherent series, and whilst, in some parts of the work, every text leaf is signed, at the beginning of the book the descriptions are not signed at all. A quarto edition of this work, entitled Voyage pittoresque dans les ports et sur les côtes de France, de Dunkerque au Havre appeared in 1833. The copy cited by Abbey has an additional plate of "Havre, vue de la rade" which is not listed in the table, and which was probably an early design for the present plate with almost exactly the same title. As Abbey notes, although the book was published in Paris for the French market, Osterwald employed two English artists and four English engravers, reflecting the high reputation enjoyed by the English in this field at the time. Indeed, in another of Osterwald's publications, Gigault de la Salle's Voyage Pittoresque en Sicile, 1822-6 (cf. lot 64), he describes in the 'Avis' his search of Europe for new artists, and his eventual decision to rely on the "meilleurs peintres de Paris et de Londres" for this most ambitious of coloured aquatint works.
Lefebvre-Duruflé was born in Rouen, which perhaps in part explains his decision to devote the first part of this work and his most extensive historical account to that city. At the age of twenty, he left for Paris to study law, and entered political service as the protegé of the Duke of Bassano. Ten years later, a prominent member of the liberal party and opposer of the restoration of the Empire, he married the daughter of the wealthy industrialist Duruflé, whose name he partially adopted, and introduced new manufacturing proceedures taken from English and American factories. In the latter part of his life, he returned to politics, finally becoming a member of the Senate in 1852. His diverse writings include works on politics, history and fashion, as well as a novel and a comic opera.
Abbey Travel 92; Barbier II, 367; Brunet II, 1130.
2° (460 x 286mm). Title, descriptions, table of contents, 40 AQUATINT VIEWS, PRINTED IN COLOUR AND DELICATELY FINISHED BY HAND TO RESEMBLE WATERCOLOURS by Thales and Newton Fielding, G. Reeve, Paul Legrand, Salathé, Himely and Hegui after Luttringshausen, Bonington, Ronmy, Noël, Francia, Copley Fielding, Grenier, Gilbert, Ulrich, Regnier and Léopold Leprince. (Plates with outer edge of platemark just trimmed, not affecting image but shaving printer's imprint in 16 plates, a few plates with barely-perceptible marginal smudging.) Contemporary red straight-grained morocco, covers with gilt border incorporating classically-inspired palmette and stylised floral rolls divided by triple fillets, Botfield arms in the centre, the spine in six compartments with raised bands, lettered in one, the others with floral decoration, turn-ins with stylised foliate roll, g.e., by C. Smith (front cover scuffed, extremities very lightly rubbed).
A FINE COPY OF THE FIRST COMPLETE EDITION OF THIS PICTORIAL SURVEY OF NORTHERN FRANCE. Barbier reports that the first three parts were published under the title of Voyage pittoresque dans les ports et sur les côtes de France, although he gives no further details. He also mentions that the first part, on Rouen, was published separately by Osterwald in 1823, and consisted of 6 plates and 14 leaves of text. These parts issues perhaps account for the erratic signatures of the text leaves. Although the order of the plates and their descriptions follows that laid down in the table, many of the signatures on the descriptions follow no coherent series, and whilst, in some parts of the work, every text leaf is signed, at the beginning of the book the descriptions are not signed at all. A quarto edition of this work, entitled Voyage pittoresque dans les ports et sur les côtes de France, de Dunkerque au Havre appeared in 1833. The copy cited by Abbey has an additional plate of "Havre, vue de la rade" which is not listed in the table, and which was probably an early design for the present plate with almost exactly the same title. As Abbey notes, although the book was published in Paris for the French market, Osterwald employed two English artists and four English engravers, reflecting the high reputation enjoyed by the English in this field at the time. Indeed, in another of Osterwald's publications, Gigault de la Salle's Voyage Pittoresque en Sicile, 1822-6 (cf. lot 64), he describes in the 'Avis' his search of Europe for new artists, and his eventual decision to rely on the "meilleurs peintres de Paris et de Londres" for this most ambitious of coloured aquatint works.
Lefebvre-Duruflé was born in Rouen, which perhaps in part explains his decision to devote the first part of this work and his most extensive historical account to that city. At the age of twenty, he left for Paris to study law, and entered political service as the protegé of the Duke of Bassano. Ten years later, a prominent member of the liberal party and opposer of the restoration of the Empire, he married the daughter of the wealthy industrialist Duruflé, whose name he partially adopted, and introduced new manufacturing proceedures taken from English and American factories. In the latter part of his life, he returned to politics, finally becoming a member of the Senate in 1852. His diverse writings include works on politics, history and fashion, as well as a novel and a comic opera.
Abbey Travel 92; Barbier II, 367; Brunet II, 1130.