Monsieur, madame et bébé

First illustrated edition with 250 wood-engraved compositions by Edmond Morin. One of 50 numbered copies on Wattman paper (No. 49 in manuscript), second paper after 10 Japan copies from a total edition of 260 deluxe copies. Portrait of the author as frontispiece by Léopold Flameng. The ordinary edition contains no justification.
Contemporary half navy blue morocco with mosaic corners, signed Champs. Spine with raised bands decorated with richly ornamented compartments with a central red morocco motif. Roll tooling at head and foot, fillet on bands. Navy blue morocco title-label, date at foot. Separation fillets on boards. Top edge gilt. Covers and spine preserved. Uncut copy with full margins. Paper perfectly fresh, endpapers with some light foxing. Light rubbing, notably to corners and lower edges, otherwise very handsome copy.
A true literary phenomenon of the late 19th century, the work consists of a succession of light and humorous scenes that celebrate adolescent first emotions and love of women, then marriage and fatherhood. This results in a gentle eroticism that celebrates women through their adornments, makeup or clothing. Henry James himself praised the beauties of these light pieces, writing that he preferred an inch of Droz to a kilometer of Daudet...