Paris, vers 1695.
Folio [348 x 245 mm] of 157 plates including 126 in color. Bound in full 18th century granite-like calf, triple gilt fillet on the covers, spine ribbed and decorated with gilt fleurons, red morocco lettering piece. 18th century binding.
Compilation of 126 full-page engravings in first state, entirely illuminated at the time and essentially made by the brothers Bonnart and by Trouvain.
Are described under the name “recueils Bonnart” some rare engravings’ collections published in the last quarter of the 17th century by a family of engravers and sellers, the Bonnarts.
These engravings were published at the time, either singly, or in series. Thus it is impossible to provide an exact list.
“The Bonnarts editors of fashion engravings, of which they were the engravers if needed, were four brothers, sons of Henry dead towards 1682. We don’t know if these brothers were competitors, but the style and size of the engravings published by them are quite similar, which allowed to compile them in order to create sets more or less important composed of engravings bearing the signatures: Bonnart, R.B. dol (Robert Bonnart), H.B. (Henry Bonnart), I.B.F. (Jean-Baptiste Bonnart); these plates have been published in quires or separately in such a way that it is impossible to give an exact list, especially as other engravings of the same kind published by engravers-editors such as I.D. de Saint-Jean, Nicolas Arnoult, Lepautre, Nicolas Bazin, Berey, Trouvain,…, are usually added.”
“These collections of engravings are of the greatest interest for the knowledge of fashions under Louis XIV; they represent the great names at court, in the army, in the judicial authorities or in the church.
Some are real fashion engravings and can be quoted as the prototypes of the magnificent compilations published in the 18th century”.
Colas. Bibliographie générale du costume et de la mode.
This beautiful compilation of 157 etched engravings is partly dedicated to sovereigns and great European names in ceremonial dress: Louis XIV, Louis le Grand, Mgr le Dauphin, le Duc de Bourgogne, le Duc d’Anjou, Madame de Maintenon, la Reine de Portugal, la Reine de Dannemark, …
The compilation also encloses plates dedicated to the senses, the seasons, the continents …
The compilation is composed as follows:
-50 etchings engraved by Bonnart and watercolored at the time (20 men, 26 women and 4 plates for the hours of the day)
-76 etchings engraved by Trouvain and watercolored at the time (32 men, 30 women and 13 allegorical plates for the seasons, the continents, the senses…)
-31 plates not colored including 24 engraved by Bonnart and 6 by Trouvain. Among these 30 plates in black and white, 11 printed in double and already appear in the colored set.
126 of the 157 engravings have been watercolored at the time in bright colors and many are enhanced with gold.
On the background of the European sovereigns stand out French formal gardens or antique monuments.
These compilations highly coveted since three centuries by engravings dealers in order to be separated and sold one by one, cannot be found anywhere.
Precious and rare compilation of extremely beautiful etched engravings, very evocative of Louis XIV’s century.