La Fontaine Fables
No Thumbnail Available
Authors
La Fontaine, Jean de
Issue Date
1875
Volume
Issue
Type
Language
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
I was surprised to learn of the existence of this substantial work as I prepared for a trip to France. I saw it there and was willing to consider it for €500. When I came home, I decided to check online to see if it might otherwise be available. Here it is, for less than a quarter of the price! As the seller says, "Belle édition des fables de La Fontaine illustrée d'un portrait en frontispice tiré sur Chine et monté ainsi que 50 ravissantes eaux-fortes tirées sur Chine et rapportées en tête des fables. Premier tirage des illustrations de Valentin Foulquier (1822-1896). Vicaire IV-908." The very first fable illustration shows good originality: the grasshopper intrudes on a gathering of five people, not necessarily presented as a family. They motion her back out of the door of the room into which she has intruded. The figure of the wolf encountering the stocky human "dog" (8) is mysterious, almost half-animal and half-human. CJ takes us into the bookseller's shop (32). FK (81) shows the aggressive arrival of the stork just before touching down. In "The Lion in Love," the young woman herself cuts the lion's nails (103). In "The Miser with Buried Treasure" we see the thief watching the miser at the entrance to a tunnel (135). The body positions of the old man and three youths are eloquent (407). Slipsheets. 484 pages. 7¼" x 10½". Images are 3¾" x 2½". What a treasure!
Description
Citation
Publisher
Alfred Mame
License
Journal
Volume
Issue
PubMed ID
DOI
Identifier
13130 (Access ID)