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FENELON, Franois de Salignac de la Mothe (1651-1715). Les Aventures de Télémaque. Paris: l'Imprimerie de Monsieur, 1785.
2 volumes, 2° (330 x 246mm). Half-titles, wood-engraved armorial device after Choffard on titles, engraved title by Montulay dated 1773 in volume I, 72 engraved plates by Jean-Baptiste Tilliard after Charles Monnet and 24 engraved chapter summaries with calligraphic text and culs-de-lampe. (Some light spotting and browning.) Contemporary French red morocco, single gilt fillet to sides, flat spine in compartments with black leather on-lays, gilt ivy garland and neo-classical ornament, marbled endpapers, gilt edges.
First edition illustrated by Monnet, and one of the '100 outstanding French Illustrated Books, 1700-1914', according to Ray. Monnet had completed the designs for this edition by 1771 when they were exhibited at the Academy. The engraving by Tilliard was completed two years later, but they were not published until 1783, and then issued only as a suite without the text. The 1785 edition, uniting text and illustration as intended, was printed on specially-procured vellum paper of Annonay, providing the plates with 'a more gracious setting' (Ray). It was printed with Didot's new Gros Romain Gras type, cut by Jean-Baptiste Gérard after designs by Didot (cf. J. Veyrin-Forrer, "Les premiers caractères de Pierre-Franois Didot", La lettre et le texte, 1987, pp.139-53). A handsome copy of a handsome edition. Cohen-de Ricci 384-386; Ray, French Illustrated Book, 37. (2)
2 volumes, 2° (330 x 246mm). Half-titles, wood-engraved armorial device after Choffard on titles, engraved title by Montulay dated 1773 in volume I, 72 engraved plates by Jean-Baptiste Tilliard after Charles Monnet and 24 engraved chapter summaries with calligraphic text and culs-de-lampe. (Some light spotting and browning.) Contemporary French red morocco, single gilt fillet to sides, flat spine in compartments with black leather on-lays, gilt ivy garland and neo-classical ornament, marbled endpapers, gilt edges.
First edition illustrated by Monnet, and one of the '100 outstanding French Illustrated Books, 1700-1914', according to Ray. Monnet had completed the designs for this edition by 1771 when they were exhibited at the Academy. The engraving by Tilliard was completed two years later, but they were not published until 1783, and then issued only as a suite without the text. The 1785 edition, uniting text and illustration as intended, was printed on specially-procured vellum paper of Annonay, providing the plates with 'a more gracious setting' (Ray). It was printed with Didot's new Gros Romain Gras type, cut by Jean-Baptiste Gérard after designs by Didot (cf. J. Veyrin-Forrer, "Les premiers caractères de Pierre-Franois Didot", La lettre et le texte, 1987, pp.139-53). A handsome copy of a handsome edition. Cohen-de Ricci 384-386; Ray, French Illustrated Book, 37. (2)