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Fables de la Fontaine
by La Fontaine, Jean de. J.J. Grandville (illustrator)
- Used
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Pasadena, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Paris: Garnier Freres, 1854. Early printing of this illustrated edition, first published in 1838-40. Large octavo (10 1/2 x 7 inches; 266 x 178 mm.). Publisher's quarter green morocco over green pebbled cloth over boards. Covers ruled in blind, spine with four raised bands, decoratively tooled and lettered in gilt in compartments, watered silk paper end-leaves, all edges gilt. Collating [4], xxiv, 598, [1, epitaph], [3, blank]. Inserted engraved frontispiece and 240 engraved illustrations of the fables as well as numerous engraved head and tail pieces. A Near Fine copy.
"In these designs, the most popular he ever drew, Grandville presents La Fontaine's beasts acting like men and sometimes costumed like them. Since La Fontaine's poems are a veiled commentary on human behavior, this formula works to admiration. Even Oudry's drawings do not always match Grandville's in psychological penetration, however superior they may be in other respects. Grandville is effective as well with uncostumed animals, even if he sometimes took them from Buffon rather than from life, but less so with human subjects" (Ray).
"In these designs, the most popular he ever drew, Grandville presents La Fontaine's beasts acting like men and sometimes costumed like them. Since La Fontaine's poems are a veiled commentary on human behavior, this formula works to admiration. Even Oudry's drawings do not always match Grandville's in psychological penetration, however superior they may be in other respects. Grandville is effective as well with uncostumed animals, even if he sometimes took them from Buffon rather than from life, but less so with human subjects" (Ray).
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Details
- Bookseller
- Whitmore Rare Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 3656
- Title
- Fables de la Fontaine
- Author
- La Fontaine, Jean de. J.J. Grandville (illustrator)
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- Early printing of this illustrated edition, first published in 1
- Publisher
- Garnier Freres
- Place of Publication
- Paris
- Date Published
- 1854
Terms of Sale
Whitmore Rare Books
15 day return guarantee, with full refund if an item arrives damaged or not matching the description.
About the Seller
Whitmore Rare Books
Biblio member since 2009
Pasadena, California
About Whitmore Rare Books
We operate a retail shop in "Old Town" Pasadena open normal business hours Tuesday through Saturday.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
- Raised Band(s)
- Raised bands refer to the ridges that protrude slightly from the spine on leather bound books. The bands are created in the...
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Pebbled
- Pebbled cloth or leather describes the covering of a hardcover book with a decorative texture of repeated small raised bumps,...
- Tail
- The heel of the spine.
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
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