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three old books sitting on top of each other on a tablea book opened to show a picture of a man on a horsean old book with a drawing of a man and a woman sitting on a bench
MILLON RIVIERA

242 - [ANTIQUE ILLUSTRATED BOOKS]
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Estimate €50 - €80
Description
[ANTIQUE ILLUSTRATED BOOKS] Set comprising CERVANTES (Miguel de) The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha (...) translated and annotated by Louis Viardot. Paris, J.-J. Dubochet et Cie, 1845. Sturdy volume, large 8vo, half-shagreen in havana colour, ribbed spine decorated with a gilt fillet at the head and foot. Contemporary binding. 1 frontispiece and 1 portrait, wood-engraved and printed on China paper; numerous wood-engraved illustrations in the text after Tony Johannot; (2) ff., XVI-888 pp. Some foxing. A fine edition, reproducing that of 1836–1837, illustrated with nearly 800 vignettes by Tony Johannot. 3 minor defects: Page 51, torn and re-glued. Page 143, torn but with no loss of text. Page 719: the lower corner is missing. No damage to the text. Louis Viardot’s translation is regarded as one of the finest of *Don Quixote*. Rius, 552; Vicaire II, 156. Included: BOCCACCIO. The Tales of Boccaccio. Translated by Sabatier de Castres. Illustrations by Tony Johannot, H. Emy, Célestin Nanteuil, Grandville, Ch. Pinot, Girardet, and... Paris, Garnier Frères, n.d. (1869). Large 4to. XI– (prologue)–562 pp–1 f (list of engravings); red half-shagreen binding with a five-ribbed spine decorated with gilt fleurons. A fine, complete copy featuring all 32 engraved plates (including the frontispiece) by JOHANNOT, NANTEUIL, GRANDVILLE, BARON, EMY, etc. Numerous vignettes within the text. A fine copy. Also included: LESAGE, Alain-René; The Story of Gil Blas de Santillane. Vignettes by Jean Gigoux. Paris, Paulin, 1835. Fort in-8, 972 pages. Cardboard binding, in the Bradel style. Weak joints. Scuffing on the spine. First printing. The illustrations comprise a frontispiece, a title vignette, a full-page portrait of Gil Blas printed on China paper, and approximately 600 vignettes within the text, all wood-engraved. This edition of *Gil Blas* is of great significance. It marks the revival of wood engraving during the Romantic era through the use of the technique known as ‘bois debout’. This new method brought about ‘a revolution in book illustration’, according to Jules Brivois. Beraldi adds, “For its witty illustrations and such a carefree, cavalier style, this edition of Gil Blas will be sought after as one of the five or six principal illustrated works of the nineteenth century.”
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About the sale Second-hand booksellers
Auction location
Closing date 10/11/2026 at 8:00 PM
ID: 89135513
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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