Collection complette des oeuvres de J. J. Rousseau

The best edition published until then and illustrated with 36 plates including 35 by Moreau Le Jeune and Le Barbier. It is upon this edition that the famous Geneva edition revised by Rousseau in 1782 will be established, also in quarto format, and which will borrow from this 1774 edition the plates by Moreau Le Jeune. A portrait of Rousseau in a medallion at the frontispiece of volume I by Quentin de La Tour and engraved by Saint-Aubin. The plates by Moreau le Jeune were engraved by Nicolas Le Mire, Duclos, Simonet... Some plates bear the date 1777 and 1778. 12 title vignettes by Choffart. 2 plates are missing from the miscellaneous works.
The collective title appears only on the half-title, each volume has its particular title, and each set has specific volume numbering.
Later binding ca 1840 in half blonde sheep. Smooth spine decorated with long rococo tooling. Titles and volume numbers gilt.
Paper yellowed or browned throughout except for the plates except for volumes 10, 11 and 12. Scattered foxing in volume I. Volume I: Upper joint cracked at head and foot: tail headcap worn, a lack at head. Volume II: Upper joint cracked at head and foot. Nibbling on upper board. Volume III: 2cm lack along lower joint. Volume IV: Upper joint cracked at head. Nibbling along joints. Brown dampstain on first 5 leaves. Volume V: Joint cracked at foot of upper joint with lacks and damage at foot. Volume VI: Upper and lower joints cracked at head over 10 cm with lacks. Volume VII: Wormholes on upper joint. Volume IX: lower joint cracked at head over 6cm.
Contents: v. 1-2. Julie, ou la nouvelle Héloïse; v. 3-4. Émile, ou de l'éducation; v. 5-8. OEuvres mêlées (Le devin du village, Pymalion, Lettres de la montagne...); v. 9. Dictionnaire de musique (14 folding plates at end - plate J appears to be missing); v. 10-12. OEuvres posthumes: Volume 11 contains Rousseau juge de Jean-Jacques, volume 12 Les six premiers livres des Confession and Les rêveries du promeneur solitaire, as well as correspondence. "Beautiful edition remarkably illustrated, by Moreau Le Jeune especially, of which this is one of the finest works, and very well engraved." Cohen (Guide de l'amateur du livre à figures), who distinguishes 3 states of the engravings, this copy containing those of the second state: with numbers, horizontal laid lines. The first state being before letters, the third on more ordinary paper. These figures, used in the 1782 edition, are found there of lesser quality.