Theuriet, AndrÈ

[Theuriet, AndrÈ- H. Laurent-Desroussaux, Illustrator- 1 of 50 ìtirage de tÍteî DELUXE Issue with Three Sets of Proofs] Reine de Bois

Paris: Boussod, Valadon et Cie, 1890.

First Edition. Two suites: book and portfolio, quartos, 13 x 10 inches each. Exemplaire No. 17 of 50 copies on Japon, with SIGNED HENRY LAURENT DESROUSSEAUX WATERCOLOR OF "BITTER SWEET ON THE HALF-TITLE, together with publisher's matching portfolio conisting of THREE SETS OF PROOFS, BEFORE LETTERS, two matching publisherís chemises (portfolio-style paper boards with flaps and ties):

This Deluxe Japon issue by AndrÈ Theuriet (1833ñ1907), novelist and poet associated with the regionalist and pastoral literary tradition, was widely admired for his sensitive depictions of rural French life and woodland settings, comprises two entities: the book, which includes the 18 "hors text" full size charcoal colored plates and 18 engravings printed within the text, for a total of 36 plates. Additionally, the publisher's Deluxe set of proofs in portfolio, having a total of 108 separate tissue-guarded plates in three distinct suites of the same 36 plates, each printed on a different paper: a camaÔeu suite on satin crËme, a camaÔeu suite on Whatman, and a bistre suite on Japon. (ìCamaÔeuî denotes printing in graduated tonal variations of a single color; ìbistreî a warm brown ink tone.) In total, the set contains 144 engraved impressions across the two enclosures, all by H. LAURENT-DESROUSSAUX, renowned artist who worked within the academic-naturalist tradition of the period, producing refined genre scenes aligned with the Barbizon-influenced aesthetic then dominant in illustrated editions.The triple-suite format allows comparison of tonal interpretations ó typically cool blue, warm sepia, and alternate tonal impressions ó a luxury production feature reserved for the smallest limitation. The plates are finely executed in photogravure/collotype, preserving the painterly softness and atmospheric modeling characteristic of late nineteenth-century French naturalist illustration. COLLATED COMPLETE. The plates are in fine condition, well-protected from any wear or discoloration by individual tissue guards, and the double folding card covers of the portfolios.

Price: $3,500.00   Item #7060