Théâtre complet de Jean Racine. Orné de cinquante-sept gravures d’après les compositions de Girodet, Gérard, Chaudet, Prud’hon, Taunay, et autres.

Racine, Jean.

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Titre : Théâtre complet de Jean Racine. Orné de ...

Éditeur : Paris (De l’Imprimerie de P. Didot l’Ainé), 1816.

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3 vols. 332, (2)pp.; 380, (2)pp.; 387, (1)pp. 57 engraved plates hors texte, all before letters. Spendid cathedral binding, signed "Thouvenin" at the foot of the spine of Vol. II. Full straight-grained aubergine morocco, gilt and blindstamped, the gilt spines with red mosaic inlays. Covers with gilt central rose-window medallions, blindstamped and fillet borders, outer triple fillets, and smaller corner ornaments. Inner dentelles gilt. Brilliant orange endpapers. A.e.g. Didot’s 1816 Racine is a reduction of his folio edition of 1801, about which Ray notes "Pierre Didot saw this as the culmination of his career. He presented it to General Bonaparte, First Consul, as an achievement in the arts comparable to his in arms. In the preface we learn how the fifty-seven plates (one for each act) were begun in 1792 and executed at leisure by Didot’s artists, in particular ‘citizens Girodet, Gérard and Chaudet, who by themselves have made two-thirds.’ Firmin-Didot cut new characters for the work. The paper was specially manufactured by ‘Citizen Montgolfier’ of Annonay. Didot was thus enabled ‘to raise to the glory of Racine a typographical monument’ which in effect was a national collaboration." In this octavo edition, the plates were re-engraved by Velyn, Guyard, Massard, Dien, and others. The superb Thouvenin cathedral binding is very similar to one illustrated by Gordon Ray (though with mosaic additions), featuring a gilt central rose-window design identical to that on the covers of the present binding. The motifs on the spine and at the corners, executed with great finesse, are only rarely found in Thouvenin's work. Label of Pierre Berès in Vol. I. Hinges a trifle rubbed, otherwise both the book and the binding in brilliant condition. Ex-libris Peter A. Wick. N° de réf. du libraire