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a lot of books that are sitting on a tablesix brown books are lined up in a row on a white surfacea drawing of a cross in the middle of a circlethe letter is written in black ink on a white paperan old book with a picture of a man and a womanpainting of a group of people standing around a large objecttwo drawings of a bird and a bird sitting on top of a tablea brown book with a golden design on itan orange book with a gold design on the coveran orange book with a gold design on it sitting on a white surfacean open book with a brown cover sitting on top of a white tablean image of a painting of two people sitting at a table with a bird on top of itthe front cover of a book with a picture of a man on a horsea book with a picture of a coat of arms on itan old book with a picture of a coat of arms and a crown on itthe front cover of a book with an image of a cross and angelsa picture of a book with a picture of angels on ita red book with black writing on it sitting on a white surfacean old black and white photo of a book with writing on it
Premium DE BAECQUE et Associés - Lyon

7 - BERNARD (J.). THE HOLY GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO S…
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Estimate €1,500 - €2,000
Sale commission
Description
BERNARD (J.). THE HOLY GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO SAINT JOHN. Translated by Le Maistre de Sacy. Lyon, Maurice Gellerat, 1936. 6 volumes in-4° (including 5 consecutive volumes) in havana morocco, covers decorated with 2 large gilt designs, gilt fillet on the inside, lining in morocco of the same colour, havana moiré endpapers, gilt edges on endpapers, covers and spine, a half-morocco brown calfskin slipcase with flaps, edged case (G. Cretté – [Jean Bernard]). A harmonious volume whose illustrations—comprising 250 figures, letters and initials, all coloured—required 2,800 woodcuts from the Lyon-based decorator Jean Bernard. This monumental work, commissioned in 1928 by the bookseller Gellerat and undertaken by the artist at the age of 20, was not published until 1936, after he had personally carried out the typesetting and printing; Only 130 numbered copies were printed on specially watermarked Montval paper. The volume is complete with the fold-out illustration plan and is enhanced by an original signed watercolour and a specimen copy of the publication. A SPECTACULAR COPY IN A REMARKABLE DOUBLE BINDING by Jean Bernard, who entrusted the work to Georges Cretté, Marius Michel’s successor in 1925. The five accompanying volumes of plates, bound by Septier in half-morocco with corner caps and five slipcases (one of which is damaged), comprise the complete set of inset illustrations, letters and initials, mounted on tabs on various types of paper, totalling 615 BLACK-AND-WHITE AND COLOUR BREAKDOWNS of the 2,800 woodcuts. The first volume is enhanced by a long autograph dedication signed by the artist and dated January 1941: ‘I printed these proofs during the printing run to fine-tune the colour, the inks and the registration of the woodcuts for the edition…’. Also enclosed are 25 typewritten pages entitled: ‘Memoir on the Gospel submitted by His Eminence Cardinal Verdier to His Holiness Pius XI concerning the typography and illustrations by Jean Bernard for the Gospel according to Saint John’. A SET OF 6 VOLUMES IN PERFECT CONDITION, ELEGANTLY BOUND.
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About the sale ANTIQUE AND MODERN BOOKS – MANUSCRIPTS – DAUPHINE – HAUTES-ALPES.
Auction location
Auction time 09/02/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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