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ex-libris THE WORLD OF EX-LIBRIS |
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A historical retrospective 2 EX-LIBRIS FROM THE ENLIGHTENMENT TO DECADENCE 1700 -1860 |
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2h FRENCH PICTORIAL EX-LIBRIS 1680-1800
French pictorial and allegorical ex-libris follow the same evolution
as in other parts of Europe. There again, several important
artists engraved bookplates, such as Boucher or Louise le
Daulceur. Their style is characteristically light-hearted in the
18th century, with a return to classical standards in the period following
the French Revolution. The Revolution saw the destruction
of a great number of important libraries, and also of
aristocrats’ ex-libris.
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2h/1. ? (F)  ORATORY OF CHALONS-SUR-SAONE, X1 + T,
99 x 131, c.1680. RGMN C0665.
Viz. AFE-L 1907 p. 5.
1910 p. 39.
A very rare woodcut ex-libris for a religious institution. The border inscriptions are typographical. |
2h/2. ? (F) FRANçOIS PERROY, C2, 187 x 127, c.1730.
A most interesting composite plate: the border and pediment, with the inscription is one plate, onto which the image of St. Peter by Dubois and Miotte has been stuck! This ex-libris has not been documented in reference books and is most unusual. It seems unlikely that the border was engraved by the same artists as the image of St. Peter, as they would have printed the image directly on the same sheet. |
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2h/3. Gabriel Ladame (F, c.1638-1708) PHILIPPE DESPONT,
C2, 195 x 142, 1682.
Viz. GMN ill. p. 72, p.78.
An outstanding early gift portrait plate. It is interesting to note that gift plates (ex-dono) or ex-libris for books left by legacy (ex-testamento) are not uncommon in the early days of ex-libris. The first British bookplate is the ex-dono of Nicholas Bacon, and we have seen the splendid armorial plate of Bishop Huet’s ex-dono (1d/23). Such portrait plates however, are much less frequent. |
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2h/4. Antoine Herisset (F, 1685-1769) CLAUDE NICOLAS LE
CAT, C2, 62 x 82, 1742.
Viz. Hamilton p. 319.
This allegorical plate for the celebrated surgeon Le Cat (1700- 1768) who founded the medical academy of Rouen, dates from 1742 – as the inscription tells us, anno aetatis et saeculi 42 (42, his age and the age of the century). |
2h/5. Descarmots (F) ABBè DE PENNAMPRAT, C2, 95 x 64,
c.1750.
An interesting allegorical for a member of the Royal Society, but which seems to be little documented to date. |
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2h/6. ? (F) JEAN-FRANçOIS ESCALLE, C2 + T, 150 x 125,
c.1750.
When one has an ex-libris as beautiful as this book label, who needs a bookplate with an image? Escalle (?-1766) was the Provincial of the Order of St. Bonaventura in Lyon. |
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2h/7. Nicolas Guibal (F, 1725-1784) IPSE, C2, 50 x 65,
1775.
Viz. Hamilton p. 319.
Son of the sculptor Barthélémy Guibal, of Lunéville, the artist lived for a time in Paris and Rome before becoming first painter and architect to the Duke of Wurttemberg, professor of painting and director of the Art Gallery of the Duke. The motif of his bookplate was ‘pirated’ by several artists of the period. |
2h/8. ? (F) ? CORNET, C2, 214 x 149, c.1790.
An interesting cypher plate. The owner chose not to put his initials, but a cypher of the word Liberté, signifying his support to the Revolution. |
End of 2h
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