Gustave Doré

2 Vols with 230 illustrations by Gustave Doré

Two Volumes. Large hardbacks, approx 16 x 12 inches. Full black morocco leather, with thick beveled boards, full embossed and gilt decoraitons to boards, with raised banding, decorations and title lettering to spines. All page edges gilt. Gilt inner board dentelles, and marbled endpapers. In very good condition. Some minor rubbing to ends of spines and corners. Small nick to top end of spine on vol.1, and surface chip to leather on top corner of vol.2. Some minor marks to rear boards, a couple of small bumps to front of vol.1. Integral cloth reinforcement between hinges. Remains strong and fast. One or two occasional handling marks and thumb prints to pages. Plates all very clean and bright. Else very good clean and tight copies. Stunning large volumes. Vol.I: Genesis to Lamentations. Vol II: Ezekiel to Revelation. Profusely illustrated with full-page B&W plates.

Commentée et illustrée de 500 magnifiques gravures par Gustave Doré

30 x 20.5 x 1.8 cm

11 3/4 x 8 1/8 x 3/4 in

First Edition

DORE, Gustave. Histoire Dramatique, Pittoresque et Caricaturale de la Sainte Russie, D'après les Chroniquers et Historiens Nestor, Nikan, Sylvestre, Karamsin, Segur, etc... [4], 207 pp. (printed on recto only), illustrated with 500 engraved illustrations by Gustave Doré cut onto woodblocks by Sotain. 4to, 290 x 195 mm., bound in contemporary brown quarter cloth over marbled boards, with the original front and rear wrappers preserved. Paris: [Lacour for] J. Bry Ainé, 1854. [ADAPT THIS TO CORRECT BINDING

First edition, early issue. Containing 500 surreal illustrations by Doré, this volume presents a blistering criticism of the tyranny of the Russian Czars. In the first issue, pages 89 and 97 have large blots of red ink, depicting "le regné d'Ivan-le-Terrible." In this copy there is a red blot on page 97, but page 89 is blank. The collaboration between Gustave Doré and the woodcutter Sotain represents an important moment in both artist's development.

"Sotain began engraving for the Magasin Pittoresque, having executed for Philipon the plates to Beau Monde by Gustave Doré. The understanding that Sotain had for his art, his methods, and his ingenuity, reassured the artist for this project. In the designs of this album, Gustave Doré voluntarily multiplied the details of the images which are not usually found in such clarity" (Valmy-Baysse, Gustave Doré p. 150). Binding repaired and a few spots but overall a fine copy of an extremely rare work.

Forberg, Gustave Doré: Das graphische Werk II, pp. 900-925. Leblanc, Catalogue de l'Oeuvre Complet de Gustave Dore, p. 135.

Signed G Doré lower right

Ink and graphite on paper

40 x 31.5 cm

15 3/4 x 12 3/8 in

Ink on paper

29 x 20 cm

11 3/8 x 7 7/8 in

Black in on paper.

20.4 x 24.4 cm

8 x 9 5/8 in

2p. (on 4p) 8vo.

London. 8. IV. 1869.

21 x 27.5 cm

8 1/4 x 10 7/8 in

(unfolded)

The Artist´s studio stamp, lower right

Pencil and watercolour on paper

45 x 30 cm

17 3/4 x 11 3/4 in

Sepia ink on brown paper

23 x 16.5 cm

9 x 6 1/2 in

Fables de La Fontaine avec les dessins de Gustave Doré

Livre Cinquième

Fable XIII

p. 301-303

La poule aux oeufs d´or

L´avarice perd tout en voulant tout gagner.

Je ne veux, pour le témognier,

Que celui dont la poule, à ce que dit la fable,

Pondoit tous les jours un oeuf d´or.

Il crut que dans son corps elle avoit un trésor:

Il la tua, l`ouvrit, et la trouva semblable

A celles dont les oeufs ne lui rapportoient rien,

S´étant lui même ôté le plus beau de son bien.

Belle leçon pour les gens chiches!

Pendant ces dernier temps, combien en a-t-on vus

Qui du soir au matin sont pauvres devenus,

Pour vouloir trop tôt être riches!

Graphite and charcoal on paper

29 x 22.5 cm

11 3/8 x 8 7/8 in