Claude-Joseph DORAT

First edition and first printing of Eisen's illustrations engraved by Massard, one plate, one vignette and one tailpiece.
Contemporary binding in full blonde calf with scale pattern, smooth spine decorated with gilt fillets and fleurons as well as a black morocco title-label, triple gilt fillet framing the boards, gilt fillets on the leading edges, gilt lines on the headcaps, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, all edges marbled. Fine copy despite some discreet rubbing to the binding.
Provenance: Maurice Lacroix library with his bookplate pasted on the verso of the first endpaper.
Fine copy in first printing of this imitation of the famous Lettres portugaises by...

Very rare first edition published anonymously and illustrated with a very fine frontispiece signed by Eisen engraved by Ponce as well as a vignette and tailpiece by the same engraved by de Longueil and Binet. Cohen announces only 15 copies all printed, like ours, on Holland paper.
Later (19th century) binding in half blonde calf, spine with five raised bands richly decorated with gilt fillets and compartments, red and navy blue morocco title and date labels, paste-paper boards, endpapers and pastedowns of combed paper, binding signed Petit successeur de Simier. Joints and headcaps rubbed.
Some very minor marginal foxing as well as a pale stain on page 57, otherwise...

first edition.
Binder in red morocco with corners, back with five nerves set with golden fillets decorated with double golden boxes, frames of gilded nets on marbled paper plates, guards and counterplates of paper to the vat, wrappers and back preserved and bound in, golden head, Signed by Champs.
Precious signed autograph dedication of the author from Edmond About to George Sand.
Beautiful copy pleasantly established.

Third edition statement (considerably expanded) for Mes fantaisies; Mes nouveaux torts bears the date of the first edition, but from a different publisher than Delalain. A frontispiece by Marillier engraved by de Ghendt and a figure by the same engraved by Gaucher for Mes nouveaux torts. A frontispiece by Eisen, engraved by Longueil, a title vignette and a tailpiece by the same, engraved by de Ghendt for Mes fantaisies. Given the identical binding, we have united these two editions.
Half vermillion morocco bindings with corners from the late 19th century. Raised band spines with ornaments. Gilt titles. Fillets on boards. Uncut copies, with the...

Second edition, a reprint of the original published in 1763 by the same publisher. It is illustrated with a frontispiece, a vignette and a tailpiece by Eisen, engraved by De Longueil. Carefully printed; Dorat indeed ruined himself perfecting his publications, commissioning from Eisen and the engravers the very best...
Half red shagreen binding, late 19th century, signed Féchoy. Spine with raised bands decorated with fillets. Gilt title, date at foot. Light surface wear to lower right corner. Handsome copy.
The source of this verse work by Dorat is the tragedy of Barnevelt, written in 1619 by John Fletcher and Phillip Masinger, a tragic play from Elizabethan theatre. Dorat drew his...

First edition, illustrated with a frontispiece by Marillier, engraved by De launay.
Full blonde calf binding, grained and glazed. Smooth spine decorated with 5 compartmented fleurons, gilt roll at head and tail. Red morocco title label. Blue speckled edges. Water stain in upper margin over one cm and 4 cm wide (at end of work, the paper becomes fragile at this spot). Two tears at tail. Good copy overall.
This comedy is a satirical attack on all the learned men holding sway in the world of letters, writers or philosophers. In the preface a portrait of Voltaire is established, although he is never cited by name by Dorat. It is known that the author had declared himself against the...

First edition, illustrated with a frontispiece by Marillier engraved by de Ghendt and a figure by the same engraver executed by Gaucher.
Contemporary full brown calf binding. Smooth spine decorated in grotesque style with interlacing floral motifs. Red morocco title and volume labels. Triple gilt fillet frame on boards. Edges gilt. Head worn; foot partially fragile. A lack to the upper corner at top. Corners slightly bumped.
A poetic anthology bringing together certain earlier works and adding some new ones. Notable is the important epistle that opens the work and explains the title, in which Dorat attempts to explain the origin of his disgrace in the literary world; following this...

First edition.
Full blonde calf binding, smooth spine decorated with gilt fleurons and compartments, red morocco title-label, blind-ruled border on covers, headcaps slightly rubbed, contemporary binding.
Handsome copy free from foxing.

First edition.
Half bronze sheep binding, smooth spine decorated with two typographical motifs and triple gilt fillets at head and foot, headcaps lightly rubbed, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, late 19th-century binding.
A copy free from foxing.