Gustave STAAL

First edition of this celebrated illustrated publication, issued in Paris by H.-L. Delloye in 84 parts between February 1842 and October 1843 and subsequently gathered into three volumes. Carteret described it as an “admirable publication printed on stout wove paper [...] one of the finest of the 19th century”, comparing the quality of its production to that of the great illustrated books of the 18th century. Carteret III, 143-153; Vicaire II, 234-248.

The first volume comprises 5 unnumbered leaves - half-title...

Rare and sought-after first edition, first issue, with exceptionally added plates from the first illustrated edition, published that same year. 34 full-page engravings after Demoraine, Gagnier, Staal and engraved by F. Delannoy.

Includes the subscribers’ list and the foreword, which will be removed for the second issue when the remainder of this edition was bought by another publisher, Dion-Lambert. It also features the pagination error in volume two: page 164 instead of 364.

With a scribal letter...

First illustrated edition, partially original, published a few months after the exceedingly rare first edition.

Scattered foxing.

Full navy blue shagreen bindings, smooth spines, covers framed with a gilt fillet and a black fillet, white moiré silk endpapers and pastedowns, occasionally lightly soiled at the margins, all edges gilt. English-style pastiche romantic bindings, late 19th century.

Illustrated with numerous wood-engraved vignettes and 81 full-page plates engraved on wood (47 wood-engravings) and steel (34 steel-engravings) after the leading artists of the period, including Honoré Daumier, Célestin Nanteuil, Anthelme Trimolet, Gustave Staal...