La Fontaine Fables

[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. Contes et nouvelles en vers. Amsterdam (=Paris), (Duchesne), 1762.
Splendid copy of one of the most famous editions of the stories and novels by Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695).Jean de La Fontaine's <I>Contes et Nouvelles</I> were at the time probably even more popular then his fables. Based on Boccaccio, La Fontaines tales consist of all sorts of exemplary stories, fairy tales and popular tales, they also contained a lesson or moral at the end. In the oldest collections from the East, like the Bidpai or the<I> Thousand and One Nights</I>, fables and fairy tales were freely mixed together, and also in the early West European collections, like the Exempla or the History of the Seven Wise Men of Rome, the various moralizing genres of fables, allegories and fairy tales were all present together. Still, La Fontaine's Contes et Nouvelles were more intended for the amusement of a gallant company than for the education of youth, often containing spicy 'exotic' and erotic elements.Our copy is of the so called 'Fermiers-Generaux' edition. In 1762 La Fontaine was commissioned by the 'farmers-general', or tax-farmers, a large and powerful group of men who collected the indirect taxes levied by the French crown. Nothing was spared to produce ''a fitting monument to the tax-farmers' wealth and position" and contains 71 Contes et nouvelles and other writings. The last 5 stories are not by La Fontaine:<I> La Couturiere, Le Gascon </I>and <I>La Cruche</I> are by Autereau; Promettre est un et tenir est un autre by Vergier and Le Rossignol which is attributed to Lamblin or to Du Trousset de Valincourt. Furthermore the <I>Dissertation sur la Joconde</I> at the end of the first volume, is by Boileau. The portrait of La Fontaine in the first volume is designed by Hyacinthe Rigaud and engraved by Ficquet, who also engraved the portrait of Charles Eisen after Vispre in the second volume. Eisen (1720-1778) on his turn is the designer of the 80 engraved plates illustrating the stories. He was one of the acknowledged masters of French rococo book illustration and these 80 designs are his finest work. "The robustness and voloptuous sensuality of his plates capture the flavor of the original Boccaccio from whom La Fontaine took his these tales, yet the precision and delicacy of their execution saves them from vulgarity." (Leslie A. Morris in <I>Visions of a collector</I>). His designs were engraved by Aliamet, Baquoy, Choffard, Delafosse, Flipart, Lemire, Leveau, de Longueil and Ouvrier. Pierre-Philippe Choffard (1730?-1809) also engraved the vignettes and head- and tailpieces, which wittily comment on the events in every preceding tale. In the second volume, the last tailpiece is a portrait of Choffard. Volume one contains an extra loose, refused engraving that depicts a scene of the fable <I>Le calendrier des Vieillards</I>.
Beautiful copy.
Cohen-De Ricci, pp. 558-68; Leslie A. Morris in: Visions of a collector (Washington 1991), p. 277-9; Lewine, pp. 278-80.

2 vols. 8vo. Contemporary red morocco, spine with gilt flowers and calf title-label, covers with triple-fillet gilt borders and a gilt flower in every corner, inside covers gilt as well, g.e. 2 volumes preserved together in modern slipcase. First volume contains 1 engraved portrait of La Fontaine, and 39 engraved plates illustrating the fables, second volume with an engraved portrait of Charles Eisen and 41 engraved plates. In total 4 vignettes and 53 beautifully engraved head- and tailpieces adorn the 2 volumes. XIV, 268, (2), 16; VIII, 306, (8 + 2 blank) pp.

[SW: Schoolbooks; Fable Books; Fairy Tales; Illustrated Books; La Fontaine; *LITERATURE & LINGUISTICS]

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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 / 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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