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two books that are sitting on top of each otheran open book with a picture of a bird on itan open book with a picture of a baby in a criban open book with a picture of a man and a woman on ita picture of a book with a picture of a man and a woman
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128 - LA FONTAINE (Jean de) & FRAGONARD (Jean Honoré).
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Estimate €800 - €1,200
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Description
LA FONTAINE (Jean de) & FRAGONARD (Jean Honoré). Tales and Short Stories in Verse. Paris, printed by P. Didot the Elder, Year III – 1795. 2 vols., large quarto, vii, 280, (2) pp., plus 25 illustrations; 334 pp. Vellin paper. Red half-maroquin, decorated ribbed spine (binding slightly later, early 19th century). A few slight foxing spots here and there. First and illustrated edition of La Fontaine’s Tales, illustrated by Fragonard. Pierre Didot aimed to produce an edition rivalling that of the Fermiers généraux (1762) and commissioned the illustrations from Fragonard, who produced only 57 drawings out of the 80 planned. Due to a lack of success, only two instalments of 10 plates were published: 16 based on Fragonard’s work, 2 based on Touzé’s, 1 based on Mallet’s and 1 based on Monnet’s. The set is complete with the series of 20 separate plates, including 4 ‘avant la lettre’ plates. Included is a set of 9 lithographs on Chinese paper mounted by Devéria for the *Contes* (bound edition) and a set of 12 reproductions of Fragonard’s original wash drawings produced for the Debat laboratories (in folio). “This fine edition was to have been illustrated with 80 engravings, based on Fragonard’s drawings and executed by the leading artists of the time; unfortunately, the work was published in 1795, in the aftermath of the Reign of Terror. Lovers of splendid and expensive publications—scattered, diminished, ruined—were far more concerned with politics than with books and were more intent on saving their own skins than on adorning the shelves of their libraries. As a result, the first two instalments of engravings met with no success and remained with the publisher without attracting a sufficient number of subscribers. Fragonard, moreover, seemed to have abandoned the execution of the drawings. Attempts to enlist Le Barbier, Monnet, Touzé and Mallet to provide additional subjects for engravings in the longer tales proved fruitless. As the public failed to respond to the prospectuses issued by the financial backers, the publication of the engravings was halted.”” Portalis for Cohen, 574. A fine copy. Wolvenbosch bookplate. (See Cohen’s detailed entry on this magnificent edition, pp. 574–582).
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About the sale Bibliophilia (sale without a live event)
Auction location
Auction time 09/09/2026 at 1:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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