Costumes du Directoire: tires des Merveilleuses

A rare suite of all 30 plates in both hand-coloured and uncoloured states.

Total of 91 etchings: 1 set of 30 hand-coloured plates and 2 sets of 30 uncoloured plates, plus portrait of Sardou.

The etchings by A. Guillaumot Fils (Auguste Etienne Guillaumot Jr.) were made from theatrical costume designs by Eugene Lacoste and Draner for productions of the comic opera Les Merveilleuses (The Lady Dandies) (1873) by Sardou. The costumes were based on contemporary prints from the Revolutionary era.

Suites of the second edition with 30 etched plates, following the first with only 20 plates in 1874.

The Merveilleuses is set in Revolutionary France during the period of the Directoire, 1789-1804, where Royalist Parisian society is led by the Incroyables and Muscadins, ridiculous fops and dandies, and Merveilleuses, outrageous women wearing classical Roman- and Greek-inspired robes in see-through fabrics.

Title page in black and red, 2pp preface, table of plates, 2pp letter by Victorien Sardou, 12pp description of plates, 30 uncoloured plates, 30 hand-coloured plates, engraved portrait of Sardou, and 30 uncoloured plates.

Auguste Etienne Guillaumot (1844-1890) was the son of architect and printmaker Auguste Alexandre Guillaumot (1815-1892), and published several books of architectural views and costume plates including Costumes du XVIIIe Siecle after paintings by Watteau, Desrais and others (1873), Costumes du XVIIIe Siecle taken from Sardou's musical play Les Pres-Saint Gervais (1874), Costumes du Directoire (1875), Costumes de la Revolution (1879) and Costumes Militaires (1886).

Half brown morocco binding, gilt spine with four raised bands, marble boards, interior mostly fresh but with a few spots to uncoloured plates as usual, outside the image. Hand-coloured plates clean and bright and printed on superior paper.