Author: DELAUNAY L'Abbé ( text editor ) - Léon CURMER ( publisher ) :
Title: Les Evangiles des Dimanches et Fêtes de l'année suivies de Prières à la Sainte Vierge et aux Saints. Texte revu par l'Abbé Delaunay. 3 volumes.
Description: .: Paris, Léon Curmer, 1864, 3 vols in-4°, 28 x 20,5 cm, Vol. I ; (6) nn pp + (38) plates ( numbered III-XL) + 170 plates + IV plates (index) , complete, all plates in chromolithography. Vol. II ; (4) nn pp + pp 171 - 362 (containing 200 plates) + (V) plates (index), all plates in chromolithography. (Page numbering erratic as some plates are counted double; recto ; verso. Other plates are unnumbered. (complete). Vol.III ; (6) nn pp + xxxii pp + (172) nn pp + 154 pp + (6) nn pp + 255 pp + (3) nn pp (complete), with 79 original photographs, mounted within large typographical borders with floral motifs. Binding; uniformly bound in violet coloured full morocco, with blindtooling, raised spines with gilt title, top edges gilt. Matching endpapers in watery silk. A fine set, beautifully bound in full morocco. With a private owner stamp on the first blank fly leaf of volume I. With one larger scratch on the front cover of volume I ; futher minimal traces of use and shelf markings. Overall in a fine state of preservation, with a flawless interior. This edition by Léon Curmer (1801-1870) is one of the highlights of French bookillustration in the 19th century before the advance of modern reproduction techniques such as photo engraving and zincography. Curmer had gained success with e.g. the publication in 1838 of '' Paul et Virginie '' illustrated by Meissonier. In his '' Evangiles'' he collected specimen of western medieaval book illustration from all the important manuscripts still extant in France, Italy, Great Britain... He rendered them in chromolithography. In the third volume of this work he extensively explains the origine of the illustrations used in volume I and II. The third volume contains also original photographs of 16th century copper engravings. A very fine copy of an extraordinary and beautifully produced book which will hardly ever be surpassed for the quality of its chromolithographies. It is in a way the culmination of the ever growing interest during the 19th century in the art of mediaeval illustrated manuscripts, which started at the beginning of the century and gave us e.g. in 1833 Henry Shaw's Illuminated Ornaments. (See also Carteret Vol 3 - 226 ).. .

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