Jean de LA FONTAINE

Amsterdam, chez Henry Desbordes, 1685.

Two volumes in one,  small 8vo, contemporary full brown calf, spine gilt with 5 raised bands, sprinkled edges. Engraved title, 8 unnumbered leaves, 236 pp., 1 blank leaf, 4 unnumbered leaves (including title), 216 pp. Complete.

Frontispiece and 58 half-page etchings by the famous Dutch painter, engraver and sculptor Romeyn de Hooghe (1645-1708), one of the most inventive and prolific etchers of the later Dutch Golden Age, producer of wide-ranging book illustrations, newsprints, allegories, and satire, best known as the chief propaganda artist working for stadtholder and King William III.

First Illustrated Edition and First Collected Edition, with a few added tales.

Second issue (with the Dissertation sur la Joconde in 16 lines (I, p. 211), the table of the first part indicating “Juge de Nèle” and the first page of the preface to the second part in 19 lines and signed *2).

This is the only illustration of La Fontaine’s Contes published during his lifetime.

Small tear on table leaf without loss of text. A pleasing copy in contemporary binding.

Ref. Landwehr, 62 / Rochambeau, pp. 511-512, 28 / Tchemerzine, III, 376

Price: 3.000,00 euros