Pierre de RONSARD

Rare original lithograph in crayon manner, executed by Félix Bracquemond for L'Estampe Moderne, series number 23 published in March 1899.
One of 50 deluxe proofs printed on Japan paper with wide margins, laid paper mounted on Japan paper, artist's initial and date in the plate, publisher's dry stamp depicting a child's profile in the lower margin, numbered luxury edition stamp on the reverse; engraving preceded by a tissue guard captioned with the artist's name, title, and a poem.
Lithograph inspired by a poem Les amours de Marie by Pierre de Ronsard, reproduced on the print's tissue guard.
Magnificent French monthly publication edited between May 1897 and April 1899, L'Estampe moderne consists of unpublished chromolithographs which, unlike other magazines such as Les Maîtres de l'Affiche and as stipulated on the tissue guards, were created specially by each artist for the magazine. Thus 100 prints appeared in total, covering the major artistic movements of the late 19th century: Symbolism, Art Nouveau, Pre-Raphaelites, Orientalists and Belle Époque. Each issue of four prints was published in 2000 copies sold at 3.50F and 100 on Japan paper offered at 10F. Henri Piazza also planned a confidential printing of very grand luxury: 50 copies on Japan paper with wide margins and 50 in black on China paper at the considerable price of 30F.
This print of handsome format is superbly printed on the most prestigious of papers: Japan paper. Thick, silky, satined and pearlescent, it contributes to making each page a work in its own right. Its quality of ink absorption and its affinity with colors also make it the ideal support for these very beautiful lithographs.
French collectors' interest in artistic posters grew at the beginning of the 1890s. Octave Uzanne, to qualify this fever, invented the term "affichomanie." The poster, originally popular and pasted on the streets of the capital, then became an art object and its ephemeral medium became precious and devoted to conservation.
Piazza decided to remove the poster from its advertising vocation and elevate it to the rank of a complete work of art on the same level as the luxury illustrated book. He thus composed a prestigious collection of entirely original works, by the most prominent European artists of the moment: Georges de Feure, Eugène Grasset, Henri Detouche, Emile Berchmans, Louis Rhead, Gaston de Latenay, Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer, Gustave-Max Stevens, Charles Doudelet, Hans Christiansen, Henri Fantin-Latour, Steinlen, Ibels, Engels, Willette, Henri Meunier, Evenepoël, Bellery-Desfontaines, Charles Léandre, etc.
Handsome copy.

Rare original lithograph, executed by Félix Bracquemond for L'Estampe Moderne, series number 23 published in March 1899.
One of 50 deluxe proofs printed on China paper with wide margins, printed in blue ink, artist's initial and date in the plate, publisher's dry stamp depicting a child's profile in the lower margin, mounted on a sheet of laid paper with the numbered luxury edition stamp on the reverse, some foxing.
Lithograph inspired by a poem, Les amours de Marie, by Pierre de Ronsard.
Magnificent French monthly publication edited between May 1897 and April 1899, L'Estampe moderne consists of unpublished chromolithographs which, unlike other magazines such as Les Maîtres de l'Affiche and as stipulated on the tissue guards, were created specially by each artist for the magazine. Thus 100 prints appeared in total, covering the major artistic movements of the late 19th century: Symbolism, Art Nouveau, Pre-Raphaelites, Orientalists and Belle Époque. Each issue of four prints was published in 2000 copies sold at 3.50F and 100 on Japan paper offered at 10F. Henri Piazza also planned a confidential printing of very grand luxury: 50 copies on Japan paper with wide margins and 50 in black on China paper at the considerable price of 30F.
This print of handsome format is superbly printed on one of the most prestigious papers: China paper. "Despite all its qualities, China paper, too inconsistent, owes its reputation, not to its own beauty, but indeed to its particular affinities with printing ink. Its texture, smooth and soft together, is more apt than any other to receive a beautiful printing. This property makes China paper sought after for printing engravings..." (Anatole France).
French collectors' interest in artistic posters grew at the beginning of the 1890s. Octave Uzanne, to qualify this fever, invented the term "affichomanie." The poster, originally popular and pasted on the streets of the capital, then became an art object and its ephemeral medium became precious and devoted to conservation.
Piazza decided to remove the poster from its advertising vocation and elevate it to the rank of a complete work of art on the same level as the luxury illustrated book. He thus composed a prestigious collection of entirely original works, by the most prominent European artists of the moment: Georges de Feure, Eugène Grasset, Henri Detouche, Emile Berchmans, Louis Rhead, Gaston de Latenay, Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer, Gustave-Max Stevens, Charles Doudelet, Hans Christiansen, Henri Fantin-Latour, Steinlen, Ibels, Engels, Willette, Henri Meunier, Evenepoël, Bellery-Desfontaines, Charles Léandre, etc.
Handsome copy.

The first edition, of which there were no deluxe copies.
Work illustrated with 24 phototype plates.
First cover marginally sunned with some light spotting, handsome interior condition.

Edition printed on laid paper and illustrated with a portrait of Pierre Ronsard by Orlande de Lassus.
Half brown shagreen binding, smooth spine decorated with gilt cartouches ornamented with gilt lyres, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, some minor tears to leading edges, original wrappers preserved, contemporary binding.
Some foxing affecting the music plates at the end of the volume.

Fourteenth collected edition. “This edition, the nicest and most complete of the old editions of Ronsard, is richly illustrated with copper engravings,” (Seymour de Ricci, Éditions originales de Ronsard). Superb engraved title by Léonard Gaultier, the same as used for the collected edition of 1609, here in its second state. A small woodcut portrait of Muret in a medallion, half-page portrait of Richelieu, half-page portraits of Ronsard and Cassandre by Melland, half-page medallion portraits of Henri II, Charles IX, François Duc d'Anjou, Henri Duc de Guise, Anne de Joyeuse, Mary Stuart, the Duc d'Espernon, François II and Catherine de Medici, all engraved by Thomas de Leu. One figure on title of second volume by Léonard Gaultier.
Text in italic (except the commentaries). Each work with its own half-title. Spine in compartments with six fleurons, gilt title, double fillet frame to covers. Leather cracked in title compartment and one other, adjacent, headpieces, joints and corners finely (almost invisibly) restored. About forty leaves of first volume browned. Volume two: title and about 30 other leaves browned, traces of light dampstaining and foxing to initial leaves. The final leaf of first volume bound at beginning of second (half title of the elegies), leaves 1515, 1517 and 1519 with right corner folded back.
The best old collected edition of the author's works and without question the most attractive. Ronsard's poetry was in limbo for a long time before his rediscovery and celebration by the Romantics. Ronsard was pilloried in the 17^th century by the leading Classicist, Malherbe, and the 18^th century was not kind to him either. France had to wait for Prosper Blanchemain's 1857-1867 edition to get to know “the Prince of Poets.”

Second edition reviewed, corrected and enlarged. Spine sunned, rare.

The first edition, published in a small number of copies of this offprint from the Revue des bibliothèques.
Lacking covers.