Pierre BERNARD

BERNARD Pierre & COUAILHAC Louis
Le Jardin des plantes. Description complète, historique et pittoresque du museum d’histoire naturelle, de la ménagerie, des serres, des galeries de minéralogie et d’anatomie et de la vallée Suisse.
[The Jardin des Plantes. Complete, Historical, and Picturesque Description of the Museum of Natural History, Menagerie, Glasshouses, Mineralogy and Anatomy Galleries of the Swiss Valley]
L. Curmer, Paris 1842, in-8 (18 x 26 cm), contemporary half green morocco
First edition richly illustrated with 186 plates of animals (including birds, reptiles, fishes, crustacean insects, corals), 33 of which are very finely hand-colored. These colored plates are exquisite in their refinement, with deep and dazzling colors. The edition also contains numerous steel-engraved medallion portraits. Fold-out map of the Jardin des Plantes and 2 double-page steel plates. The steel plates are finely crafted. Numerous wood-engravings in the text showing animals. The book benefits from typical romantic treatment, with large wood-engraved compositions for the title and part pages, decorations, etc.
Contemporary green hard-grained half morocco. Spine with richly decorated panels, roll-tooling on the bands. Double fillets on the sides, gilt edges, watered silk endpapers. Signs of wear on the sides and ends. Short tear to the inferior part of the first volume on 0,5 cm. Bright white paper, with occasional light spotting. A few more yellowed plates.
Very fine copy in good condition.
Curmer had specialized in luxurious high-end publishing. He is known for having financially ruined himself by ordering the very best engravings in England and by dint of the paper he used. He swiftly went bankrupt. Hetzel acquired his back catalog.
The Jardin des Plantes is a superb publication that marries the discovery of a fascinating subject and the perfect realization of an exceptional book.
$ 1 000