French Language

Venice: Appresso Giovanni di Antonio Zatta librajo all'insegna of Providence in Frezzaria, 1799. Very Good. Bookplate of prior owner and also a signature of another owner on inside front cover. VERY GOOD condition (wear to corners and edges, some soiling). VERY RARE collection of political caricatures with French and Italian language.

Paris: Charles Gosselin, Libraire, 1831. NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS- Victor Hugo- Illustrated Title Vignettes by Tony Johannot- Charles Gosselin, Libraire- Paris 1831- 1st Edition-1st Impression-4th Issue- The publishers own statement on May 10th 1831 in the Journal des Débats that the first impression of 1100 copies were divided into 4 groups of 275, designating Premiere to Quatrieme edition- He did this to lure people into believing that the novel was popular due to the many editions already out there- This one is falsely designated as Quatrieme Edition as stated on the title page- errors as per the first issue- Vol II pagination errors 339 instead of 439 and 391 instead of 491.- original publishers 1/2 leather and marbled boards rubbed at extremities, but sound and clean- 5 smooth gilt compartments on spine with some legibility of titles and volume- Vol I: 4ff un-numbered, 1-404, Vol II: 2ff un-numbered, 1-536.-no tears, no writing-small amount of foxing especially towards endpapers- A nice set in… Read more

Paris, Edition Jeanne Bucher., 1928. Drawings in color by Joan Miró. 8 color pochoirs after drawings by Miró, colored by Jean Saudé on Arches paper. 4to, published in a folio of 14pp. One of the limited edition of 300. Enclosed in the ORIGINAL LINEN FOLIO in pearl grey background, with black numbers and green sun. Interior lined with black paper. 11 5/8 x 10 5/8 x 5/8. Housed in a new black clam shell case. Signed and dedicated by Lise Hirtz to Jane de Margerie. RARE. Miro created one of the most imaginative books for children and far beyond its time. Joan Miró was studying art in Barcelona and moved to Paris in 1919, He was introduced to a surrealists group in 1924 by his neighbor Andre Masson, who shared his studio. He found among these artists the inspiration necessary for his work. But it was his humor that dominated his creations, especially the black humor of the surrealists.
In August 1927 Paul Eluard sent Miro the poems by Lisa Hirtz (born Ann - Marie Meyer), a friend of Breton.… Read more

Paris: Aux Editions Eliane Norberg. First edition thus. Signed, De Luxe limited edition. Sumptuous, full leather Artesian binding by Jacques Blanchet. From an edition of 202, number 72 of 180 printed on Velin d' Arches. Published Paris: Editions Eliane Norberg, 1951. Folio, 10 1/2" x 13 1/4" x 2 7/8" thick, 302pp., illustrated with full page engraved plates and fine textual engravings from copper - all with tissue guards, and two leather engravings (cover and verso) in 6 colors by Robert Fonta. Full dark blue satin morocco over 1/4" thick boards with chamfered corners and leather inner hinges attached to thick, duplex flyleaves and gray leather pastedowns. Gilt block paneled titles on spine, top edges tinted blue with gilt embossed edge design stamped into the page block. Front cover and verso decorated with unique, six-color leather inset engravings by Fonta, Signed on the half title by the Bazin: "Hommage amical / de l'auteur / Herve Bazin." Presentation copy to… Read more

Paris: Teriade Editeur, 1950. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine. Folio. Limited Edition. In original lithographed glassine wrappers.Three green fleur de lis illustrated on front cover, with poets name, and a larger fleur de lis on rear cover. This is copy number 1172 of 1200 signed by Matisse in pencil on colophon.100 colourful crayon and pencil lithographs on loose pages, printed on thick Velin d'Arches paper at the Mourlot workshop in Paris. Illustrated frontis of medieval poet Charles, Duke of Orleans [1394-1465], who, taken prisoner after the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Many of his poems were written during his long captivity over a 25 year period. He wrote courtly and romantic poems set in ballad and rondeau forms. The poems are lithographed in Matisse own hand, with decorative borders with multiple colours. Wrappers yellowed, and stained along spine and joints of front cover. Rubbing to spine edges. Stain to inner hinge of rear pastedown endpaper and sporadic stains throughout interior, but… Read more

Paris: E. Dentu and Alphonse Lemerre, 1879. Book. Near Fine. Hardcover. SIGNED AND INSCRIBED BY AUTHOR. First Edition. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. "Les Femmes D'Artistes" , Alphonse Lemerre, Paris, 1874 and "Les Rois En Exil. Roman Parisien", E Dentu, Paris, 1879, both books SIGNED AND INSCRIBED BY AUTHOR at 3rd front end page and half-title respectively, to the French playwright and novelist Adolphe Belot, author of the wildly popular " Mademoiselle Giraud, My Wife" in 1870 and co-author and collaborator with Daudet on the play "Sapho" in 1885 and who adapted Daudet's "Fromont Jeune et Risler Aîné" for the theater in 1876 "Les Rois en Exil" is SIGNED AND INSCRIBED "Adolphe Belot lou ami Alphonse Daudet" and "Les Femmes D'Artistes" is SIGNED AND INSCRIBED "A La femme de feu Les Femmes des Artistes". Belot's novel "La femme de feu" was published in… Read more

Paris: FurneDubochetHetzel & Paulinpuis Alexandre Houssiaux, 1842. Fine. Furne Dubochet Hetzel & Paulin puis Alexandre Houssiaux | Paris 1842-1855 | 14.50 x 22 cm | 20 volumes reliés | Honoré de BALZAC & Honoré DAUMIER & Charles Constant Albert Nicolas d'Arnoux de Limoges Saint-Saëns dit BERTALL & Paul GAVARNI & Tony JOHANNOT & Célestin NANTEUIL œuvres complètes de H. de Balzac [Complete Works] Furne, Dubochet, Hetzel, Paulin puis Alexandre Houssiaux | Paris 1842-1855 | 14.5 x 22 cm | 20 volumes in contemporary half shagreen First collective edition sold as the Works, comprising – as well as numerous texts published for the first time – a new version of the Human Comedy, reviewed and revised by Balzac. This is also the first illustrated edition. Contemporary half blue shagreen over marbled paper boards, spines slightly sunned, in five compartments with thin raised bands decorated with gilt dots and compartments with triple blind-ruled frames, gilt fleurons to centre, marbled endpapers… Read more

Paris: Edouard Pelletan, 1898. Limited Edition. Fine. Georges Bellenger. Quarto, 11 3/4 x 9 3/4 in (300 x 248 mm), 196 pp., red crushed morocco, boards framed with an embossed black fillet between gold fillets, same motif between the five raised bands on the spine, and gilt title; triple gold fillet on interior boards, with decorative gilt motifs on corners, marbled end papers; paper cover and spine bound at beginning and end, title page in brick and black lettering, edges gilt, slipcase with leather edges and red marbled paper to match book color: BINDING by CHARLES MEUNIER (stamp-signed in gilt on lower turn-in). Limited edition of 350 copies with 46 illustrations by Georges Bellenger (1847-1915), engraved on wood by Eugène Froment (1844-1926), of which 320 in Octavo format. This one of 30 special copies re-set and printed in Quarto format, and one of 15 among them printed on old hand-made Japon paper, uncut. This custom edition includes two EXTRA PRINTS of each plate, printed on Japon and on… Read more

Paris: Charpentier, 1884. Limited Edition. Fine. Fine. James Jacques Joseph Tissot (1836-1902). 8vo 10 1/2 x 6 7/8 in. (266 x 175 mm). No. 5 of 20 deluxe illustrated copies printed on imperial japon paper from a total edition of 550. This copy includes 10 original etchings, signed in pencil by James J. Tissot (1836 - 1902) and a second state of each etching, with page number and red ink stamp printed on holland paper. 380 pp. including half title, limitation page, title, dedication, preface and colophon; paper uncut and in exceptionally attractive condition with no spotting or foxing. Binding by Charles Allô, half blue morocco with gilt fillets, gold speckled paper on boards, marbled endpapers, 5 raised bands, title in gilt, compartments with elaborate gilt tooling and red roses; original wrappers bound in; t.e.g.; spine lightly sunned and some chipping to the edges of the boards; binding tight and square. From the library of GUY BIGORIE: Small ticket with GB initials pasted on the inside front… Read more

Paris: Société du Livre d'Art. Imprimerie Nationale, 1909. Limited Edition. Near fine. Henri Jourdain. 4to, 10 1/2 x 7 3/4 inches ( 266 x 197 mm); pp. [6], iv, 355, ii, [6]; 66+1 colored etchings by Henri Jourdain; original blue paper wrappers bound in; printed on paper specially-made by Maison Perrigot-Masure, offset on pages opposite the etchings, otherwise paper is bright and clean. This is No. 90 of 130 copies; the first 99 destined to members of the Société du Livre d'Art. It is also one of only 5 copies to contain an EXTRA SUITE of colored etchings. Exquisite binding by E. Maylander (gilt stamped on inside front cover) in emerald green morocco, multiple concentric gilt fillets on boards with a strip of tan morocco, spine with four raised bands, compartments decorated as the boards, gilt titling, a.e.g.; doublures in tan morocco with mosaic (embossed & gilt motif of leaves and chestnuts), green silk endpapers, second set of endpapers in green and gold marbled paper; "chemise" in 3/4 green… Read more

Due tomi in-folio; cc. (7), pp. IV, c. (1), pp. LXXXI, 211; c. (1); pp. 366, c. (1). Cartonatura editoriale originale. Qualche abile restauro ai dorsi delle legature, leggermente allentate, tuttavia splendida copia a pieni margini. A splendid copy with uncut margins, preserved in its original editorial orange boards.Iniziata da Bodoni e portata a termine dalla vedova del celebre stampatore, Margherita Paola Dall'Aglio (Parma, 1758 – Parma, 1841), quest'edizione reca nelle pagine precedenti il frontespizio: "Imprimé par ordre de Sa Majesté Joachim Napoleon Roi des Deux Siciles pour l'instruction de son Fils Ainé S.A.R. le Prince Achille Napoleon". Brunet, III, 754: "Édition magnifique"; Brooks, 1149: "E' una delle più belle edizioni bodoniane"; De Lama, II, p. 213.

Paris: Librairie Charpentier et Fasquelle, 1898. First Edition. Fine. 12mo, 7 3/4 x 5 1/4 in.(192 x 133 mm), 225 pp. 1898 Riviere and Son binding in red crushed morocco, Art Nouveau leaf-spray devices gilt to spine and covers, gilt fillets on turn-ins and binder's mark which reads "R. Riviere & Son | for L.S. Montagu, 1898," t.e.g, others untrimmed, marbled endpapers, original wrappers bound in at rear. A beautifully-bound first edition of the classic French play about the large-nosed Cyrano obliged to help another more handsome man woo the beautiful Roxanne who Cyrano already loves. Rostand's play stages the tragic complicity between two halves of man, puts into question the existence of justice or happy love in this world, but ends with the evidence of hope: in the guise of Christian, it is the soul of Cyrano that Roxanne loved. This drama in five acts saw its first production on December 27th 1897, with the leading role played by Constant Coquelin, who went on to play the role 410 times and… Read more

Rouen: Société Normande des Amis du Livre, 1934. Limited Edition. Fine/Fine. Edgar Chahine. This special edition comprising a bound book, unbound "À Propos" by René Helot, and 36 etchings and drypoints by Edgar Chahine; 10 1/4 x 8 inches (260 x 203 mm), housed in a custom blue clamshell box (11 3/4 x 9 1/4 inches / 297 x 233 mm). * The book is printed in black and red on handmade paper, deckle edges: [2] 2, title, 172, limitation, 1, [3] pp.; Copy no. II of only 25 printed, this one printed for "Monsieur Georges Majoux, Vice-Président de la "Société Normande des Amis du Livre" as stated on the limitation page, signed in pencil by him * Unbound and uncut "À Propos" by René Helot, 24 pp, printed in black and red on thick wove paper. * Portfolio with two sets of 12 etchings and drypoints by Chahine, on thick wove paper, each sheet 10 3/8 x 7 7/8 in. (262 x 200 mm), housed within printed paper covers, with glassine overcover. Both sets are full-plate (approx. 8 1/2 x 6 1/4 in. each / 216 x… Read more

First edition of the famous 4-volume edition of Ovid's Metamorphoses by Pierre-François Basan and Noël Le Mire. "One of the most brilliantly illustrated of the entire century" (Cohen/R. p. 769). Large paper issue.
Description: 4 vols., contemporary marbled calf, sides ruled with triple gilt fillet and decorative gilt roll to board edges. Spine richly gilt in compartments between five raised bands, with two brown morocco labels, lettered gilt. Marbled endpapers. Large square octavo: 25 × 19 cm; pag.: (vol. 1) [5ll.], xc, [2 –approbation], 264; (vol. 2) vii, 352; (vol. 3) viii, 360; (vol. 4) viii, 367, 8. With 140 numbered engraved plates (No. 1 frontispiece, 2–140 with printed captions), 1 final plate in vol. 4, 4 title page vignettes, 3 engraved dedication vignettes in vol. 1, 30 engraved headpieces. All edges gilt.
Ref.: Brunet iv, 285; Cohen/R. 769; Fürstenberg 79
Provenance: Bookseller's paper label with black lettering "Se trouve à Mannheim chez Charles Fontaine" to front free endpaper of… Read more

A significant edition of the philosopher's collected works. Complete set in rare amber-coloured bindings, with the hand-coloured botanical plates twice bound in volume 38 and also in volumes 5 and 6.
Description: 39 vols. in 38, contemp. buff calf; gilt palmette borders to boards, gilt meander roll to turn-ins; spine decorated with paired gilt fillets, guilloches and dotted lines enclosing a gilt stylised sun symbol; with two contrasting red morocco lettering pieces and an escutcheon bearing the number of vols.; marbled endpapers. Octavo: 21 × 13 cm; pp.: (vol. 1–4, La Nouvelle Héloïse) 488; 468; 488; 484 (vol. 5–6, Lettres élémentaires sur la bontanique) 393, [22 ll.]; 286, [16 ll.], 287–507, [6 ll.] (vol. 7–9, Politique) 479; 485; 459 (vol. 10–14, Émile) 413; 361; 450; 384 (vol. 15–17, Sciences, arts et belles-lettres) 485; 476; 538 (vol. 18, Théatre) 444 (vol. 19–22, Musique) 456; 460; 459; 397 (vol. 23–26, Confessions) 472; 406, [2]; 414; 478 (vol. 27–28, Pièces diverses)… Read more