Item Details
Costumes Civils et Militaires de la Monarchie Francaise de 1200 à 1820 [Complete in Four Volumes: together with] Manuscript Sketchbook of Hippolyte Lecomte, 1820.
Paris: chez Delpach quai Voltaire No. 23. [1820]. First Edition/Unique Edition. Hardcover. Vol. I: 100 lithograph plates: title page + 99 of costumes, all hand-colored.
Vol. II: 100 plates #101-200.
Vol. III: 100 plates #201-300.
Vol. IV: 80 plates #301-380.
Manuscript Sketchbook of Hypolyte Lecomte (1820). Ink over pencil sketches for Costumes Civils et Militaire de la Monarchie Francaise; 268 drawings. Small quarto in laid paper, to plate “266” of above, then different sketches.
Hippolyte Lecomte (1781-1857), a French painter trained under renowned historical painter Pierre-Adrien Swebach. Lecomte became known for his large-scale historical paintings, often depicting scenes from Napoleonic France and the Spanish War of Independence and his works are praised for their accuracy, dramatic composition, and attention to detail.
Lecomte's work continues to be exhibited in museums like the Palace of Versailles, the National Gallery of Art, and the Rijksmuseum. His mastery of historical narratives [and his contributions to ballet design] have ensured his place in French artistic history. Very Good. Light shelf/edge wear, spines toned, wear to head and tail, light rubbing at hinges, thumb creases to some plates, light toning/soiling, thin laid paper endpapers “Mrs. Jay Bird” bookplate, else tight, bright and unmarred; vellum binding shows closed split, light toning, old repair at front hinge with buckram under the vellum, fore-edge toned, last page before fly soiled (likely outer wrapper of a much used sketchbook prior to binding), else tight, bright and unmarred. Quarterbound, red leather spine, marbled boards, gilt lettering, frontispiece. fo/small 8vo. np. Illus. (hand-colored plates). Item #6548
Price: $25,000.00