The Adventures of Telemachus printed on large paper.
One of the extremely rare copies sumptuously illustrated with gouache at the time.
Paris, Imprimerie de Monsieur, 1785.
Fénelon, François de Salignac de la Mothe. The Adventures of Telemachus.
Paris, From the printing of Monsieur, 1785.
2 large quarto volumes on vellum paper: I/ (3) leaves, 309 pages, 36 plates, 12 engraved titles; II/ (2) leaves, 297 pages, 29 plates, 12 engraved titles, (3) leaves. In total 1 engraved title-frontispiece by Montulay and dated 1773, 65 engravings (of 72) after Monnet engraved by Tilliard and 24 plates decorated with vignettes containing the summaries. On the titles are the arms of Monsieur, wood-engraved after Choffard.
Full red morocco, gilt frame borders on the boards, spine with raised bands decorated in panels with Maltese crosses, green morocco spine labels, double gilt fillet on the edges, gilt head, gilt inner border. Contemporary Binding.
325 x 234 mm.
Luxurious typographic edition on vellum paper, printed under the direction of Pierre-François Didot, with the new characters from his foundry.
Cohen 384-385.
It is one of the first French works printed on vellum paper.
“Beautiful edition made to contain the series of drawings by Charles Monnet exhibited at the Salon of 1771 under the title Subjects drawn from Telemachus, and engraved two years later by Jean-Baptiste Tilliard.”
“It was as early as 1771 that Monnet created for the engraver Tilliard his beautiful illustration of Telemachus whose drawings were partly exhibited at the Academy exposition of that same year, and whose series of engravings was sold separately.
Here are, moreover, some excerpts from the announcement that was made in January 1773 in the Mercure de France, regarding these figures: “ Adventures of Telemachus. 72 prints, quarto. Messrs. Monnet, royal painter, and Tilliard, engraver, thought it their duty to combine their talents to present to the public its most interesting features, they propose to form a series of prints executed in a new way, suitable for decorating cabinets or joining the various editions that have been made of this work.”
The booksellers took advantage of the opportunity, as the following passage proves, to launch a new luxury edition of the Telemachus, in which these prints could be easily inserted: “As printing and engraving are two arts that hold together and as amateurs might wish to join the prints to the actual text of Telemachus, the associated booksellers who have the privilege announce that they are preparing to make a quarto edition, in the same format, of which they flatter themselves that the execution, for the paper and the typographic part, will answer to the care of the artists for the engraving, thus leaving nothing to be desired in such an undertaking.
The first series, currently being published, is of the greatest beauty; the drawings are perfectly composed and the engravings are made with great skill, care, and taste.” Baron Roger Portalis, Illustration designers in the 18the century.
The Adventures of Telemachus are a work of circumstance in every sense of the term. Indeed, in 1689, Fénelon became the tutor of the three sons of the great dauphin. He mostly had to deal with the Duke of Burgundy, the most difficult among them, who happened to be the heir to the throne.
This edition is ornamented with an engraved title-frontispiece by Montulay, dated 1773, the arms of Monsieur, wood-engraved on the title, after Choffard, 65 (of 72) out-of-text plates engraved in intaglio by Tilliard after Monnet, and 24 engraved plates containing summaries of songs adorned with framing and vignettes.
Exceptional copy in which all 90 of Monnet and Tilliard’s engravings have been admirably enhanced with gouache at the time and protected by tissues.
It is also preserved in its elegant contemporary red morocco bindings.
Cohen does not cite any copies of the Telemachus with the Monnet and Tilliard series in grand color.
