Charles Blanc, Editeur en Chef, Gazette des Beaux-Arts. Courrier Europeen de L'art et de la Curiosit

A great-looking, structurally sound set of Gazette des Beaux-Arts. Courrier Europeen de L'art et de la Curiosite, Blanc, Charles, Redacteur en Chef, published by Imprimerie de J. Claye.

Very Good. First Edition. Unusually scarcely available to the trade in this state (First Editions, all) and condition (no worse than Very Good of exterior and Near Fine of interior). A consecutive run of volumes I-XI bound in six volumes plus Tome XIII, 2nd Periode, and Tome XIV, 2nd Periode. The Gazette des Beaux-Arts was a French art review that was founded in 1859 by Édouard Houssaye, with Charles Blanc as its first Chief Editor, and it ran until 2002. Mostly published monthly, it was headquartered in Paris. The first six volumes have been rebound most handsomely in blue marbled paper over boards, being backed in heavy, pebbled cloth, with five raised bands to spines and gilt-titling and numbering in compartments. Some mostly superficial wear to spine heads and feet, tips, edges, scuffing to raised bands, etc., moderate wear to marbled paper, some loss thereof here and there, but not much. "JCH" would appear to have been a previous owner insofar as her or his initials are also stamped at each spine bottom, and what appears to be "JChielland" is signed with a flourish at second free endpaper of each of the first five volumes. "Axel Wildstrand"'s Ex-libris bookplate graces the inside of each front flap, too, most tastefully. The endpapers are decorated in a kind of red, white and blue microcellular pattern. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of fine black-and-white illustrations, including initials, heads and tails, and lots of full-page illustrations, too, being tissue-guarded. Major artists from Goya to Rembrandt, Michel Ange to Delacroix, are represented in the form of drawings, etchings, engravings and lithographs among other art media. The volumes are collated with difficulty, in that word usage (e.g., "Tome," "Annee," etc.) varies between spine titles, half-titles, and title pages. Here goes: first volume says "1-2" and "1859" on spine, "Tome Premier" at half-title, 391 pp., including Table of Contents, lists of various kinds of illustrations, etc.; "Tome Deuxieme," 384 pp., ditto; the second volume says "3-4" and "1859" on spine, and "Tome Troisieme" at half-title: 384 pp., and including full lists of article titles, authors and illustrations; "Tome Quatrieme," with 384 pp., with similar lists; the third volume says "5-6" and "1860" on spine, and "Tome Cinquieme" at half-title, and with the same 384 pp.; "Tome Sixieme" has 388 pp.; the fourth volume says "7-8" and "1860" on spine, "Tome Septieme" at half-title, and at 384 pp., and then "Tome Huitieme" has 392 pp. and including full bibliographies and lists of engravings and etchings for the two tomes; the next volume is "9-10" (1861), "Tome Neuvieme," at 384 pp., and "Tome Dixieme" is at 384 pp. as well; the sixth volume say "11" and "1861" at spine and the half-title denotes "Tome Onzieme," and is 584 pp. in length. This volume has 12 original engravings and 151 reproductions thereof. I see an orphaned tissue guard, so at least one plate is missing. Two additional volumes round out the set, both a bit larger, but having been rebound similarly. No initials are stamped into spine feet, however. The first says Tome XIII, 2nd Periode, but the half-title says Dix-Huitieme Annee--Deixieme Periode, Tome Treizieme, and features marbled page edges. It appears devoted largely to "Le Genie de Michel-Angle Dans Le Dessin." 784 pp. and including full Tables of Contents. The final volume says Tome XIV 2nd Periode on spine, "Dix-Huitieme Annee--Deuxieme Periode, Tome Quatorzieme" at half-title. It refers back at p. 1 to the previous volume. 568 pp., also marbled page edges, same pebbly cloth to tips of both volumes, scuffing to tips and edges, some loss of paper to boards, but similarly tank-like in size and sturdiness and degrees of attractiveness. Else and withal, this is a fine collection of illustrations, including a truly magnificent engraving by Gustave Dore in No. 11 at p. 364 of Dante et Virgile au Tobeau de Farinata, in fold-out, dark and foreboding. Additional postage may be required for oversize or especially heavy volumes, and for sets.

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