Fontaine Fables

ROBERT, A.C.M. Ysopet (Isopet), Jean de la Fontaine, Foncemagne, Grosly, Jean-Francois Adry, Lomenie de Brienne, Antoine-Alexandre Barbier. Fables inedites des XIIe, XIIIe et XIVe siecles, et fables de La Fontaine.

rapprochees de celles de tous les auteurs qui avaient, avant lui, traite les memes sujets, precedees d'une notice sur les fabulistes. Paris: Etienne Cabin, 1825. Two volumes, complete. First and only edition, including the first printing of virtually the entire corpus of medieval French fables (excluding those of Marie de France, which had been published by Roquefort in 1820 and which do not appear here). cclxii, 368, [4], 603, [1] pp. Includes a lengthy (over 200 pp.) introduction, which provides biographies of dozens of fabulists who preceded La Fontaine (Brunet: "Morceau interessant"); the text of La Fontaine's complete fables; 185 previously unpublished medieval fables (primarily by the Ysopets); copious notes; a bibliography of important editions of La Fontaine (by A.-A. Barbier); and comprehensive indexes. The illustrations include a frontispiece portrait of La Fontaine, 90 beautifully etched (with roulette) full-page facsimiles (Brunet: "calquees avec une scrupuleuse exactitude sur les dessins de trois manuscrits du XIVe siecle"), and four handwriting facsimiles. Beautifully printed on fine laid paper. Beautifully bound in later 19th century half morocco and gold-decorated boards. Corners slightly smashed, one a little damaged. Hinges weak and 1 broken, but still hold. Small part of the back of vol.2 loose. Inside minor foxing, else internally bright. Brunet III, 755-756: Rochambeau 346; Vicaire IV, 912-913; Bossuat 2540 and 2550; Graesse IV, 74. Rare.

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[LA FONTAINE, Jean DE]: La Fontaine en estampes, ou Nouvelle Edition des Fables, plus complete que les precedentes; precedee de la Vie de l'Auteur, extraite du nouvel Ouvrage de M. Walckenaer. Paris, Nepveu, 1821.
Beautiful illustrated edition of the fables of Jean de La Fontaine, dedicated to the Dauphin, and preceeded by "Precis de la Vie de J. de La Fontaine", at the end of which is stated that this edition is especially intended for youth. Further noted is that the arrangement of the large plates brought with it the changing of the usual order of the fables, as well as the omission of their numbering and division in Books. This however, is repaired by the alphabetical index, which adds the relevant Books and numbers to each fable. At the end of each fable some explanatory notes are added for the children as well. The book was printed for Nepveu by Imprimerie de Le Normant at Paris. The beautiful large plates were based on the grand Paris edition of La Fontaine's "Fables" with the magnificent print-series by the painter Jean Baptiste Oudry (1686-1755), and are here in fine and clear impressions. The plate on the title-page is also based on the frontispiece design by Oudry, depicting a detail in which Aesop is pointing out for some large animals the buste of Jean de La Fontaine covered with a garland of flowers. Oudry's fable illustrations were set in elegant architectural backgrounds, idyllic landscapes and beautiful garden scenes in the style of Louis XV.
Fine copy.- (Binding sl. rubbed; pp. XXV-XXVI of the "Precis" s erroneously bound in between pp. X-XI, and the "Dedication to the Dauphin", pp. (XXVII)-XXVIII, is found between pp. XIV-XV).
Not in Gumuchian; Rochambeau 305; for the grand Paris ed. with Oudry's print-series, see <I>Fabula Docet </I>51.

4to. Contemp. half red morocco, spine richly gilt, g.e. With large engraving on title, and 110 half-page engraved plates illustrating the fables, based on the designs by Oudry. XXVIII, 462 pp.

[SW: Fable Books; Illustrated Books; Children's Books; La Fontaine]

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La Fontaine Jean de / David J. (Illustrateur): Fables de la Fontaine, .
Table du Tome Premier : Notice sur La Fontaine - Epitre a Monseigneur Le Dauphin - Preface de La Fontaine - La Vie d'Esope - A Monseigneur Le Dauphin - Livre Premier en 12 Fables - Livre Second en 20 Fables - Livre Troisieme en 18 Fables - Livre Quatrieme en 22 Fables - Livre Cinquieme en 21 Fables - Livre Sixieme en 21 Fables - Epilogue / Table du Tome Second : Avertissement - A madame de Montespan - Livre Septieme en 18 Fables - Livre Huitieme en 27 Fables - Livre Neuvieme en 19 Fables - Livre Dixieme en 16 Fables - Livre Onzieme en 9 Fables - Epilogue - A monseigneur le Duc de Bourgogne - Livre Douzieme en 27 Fables... .

Edition accompagnee d'une Notice Historique et de Notes par le Baron Walckenaer - Ouvrages ornes par 2 Frontispices rehausses en couleurs & de tres nombreuses Illustrations de J. David sous forme de Bandeaux, Lettrines & Culs-de-Lampe, en noir dans le texte - A Paris - Armand Aubree, Editeur - Edition 1839 - In-8 (16 x 24,5 cm) - Complet en 2 Volumes - 340 pages & 360 pages - Reliures demi maroquin vert a grains longs et a coins legerement frottees et salies, coins et bordures legerement frottes - Dos a 5 nerfs tres legerement frottes, insoles, coiffes tres legerement frottees, jolis decors avec encadrements dores, titres et tomaisons dores - Rares et disparates rousseurs - Quelques restaurations de bonne qualite sur certaines pages et en bordure interne du Frontispice du Tome deuxieme, signatures tres peu visibles en tete et en queue du Frontispice du Tome deuxieme, anciennes traces d'encre page 288 du Tome premier sans atteinte au texte - Signets dores - Bon etat - Attention Poids : 1800 gr.

[SW: Illustres, XIXe Siecle, Reliures, Fables, La Fontaine]

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LA FONTAINE, J. DE. Fables Choisies. Mises en vers. Et par luy reveues, corrigees & augmentees de plusieurs fables.- Suite des fables choisies. Suivant le copie de Paris. Amst., Pierre Mortier, 1705, and 1694.
Unrecorded mixed text-edition, without illustrations, probably meant for use at schools, of the famous fables by Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695). The main work contains the first six books of La Fontaine's fables, first published at Paris by Claude Barbin in 1668. Included here are the dedication to the French Dauphin, a preface by the author, discussing the genre, Aesop's life, a dedicatory verse for the Dauphin, and, after the 225th fable, a last, 226th, dedicatory fable to Miss de Bourbon and the Prince de Conty. The continuation of the fables, added here in an edition of 1694, was probably the first edition of book seven of La Fontaine's fables published in The Netherlands. It here includes, next to the dedication to the Duke de Bourgogne, the French Privilege granted to Claude Barbin, and dated 1694. Book seven contains 21 more fables. According to Landwehr, Pieter Mortier published in 1693-1694 all the fables without illustrations in 5 parts in two volumes, with the privilege for the last part dated at Paris February 20, 1694, while ours is dated March 1, 1694. Also in 1705 Mortier published all the fables in one volume, unillustrated, with 247 fables on 394 pages, also quite different from our 1705-edition.
Good copy.- (Binding sl. used, loose in spine; frontispiece to the main work lacking).
Not found recorded; cf. Landwehr, <I>Emblem & Fable Books,</I> F121 (ed. in five books, 1693-1694, with privilege February 20, 1694)) idem F125 (ed. 1705 of 247 fables in total);Gumuchian lists no ed. prior to 1796.

2 parts in 1 vol. Sm.8vo. Contemp. vellum. With small oval woodcut view of Paris on first title, and slightly larger variant woodcut view on second title, and both titles printed in red and black. 376, (10); 91, (1) pp.

[SW: *EDUCATION & LEARNING; Schoolbooks; Fable Books; Children's Books; La Fontaine]

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