Woodblock printing. PAPILLON. Traite historique et pratique de la gravure en bois.

PAPILLON, Jean Michel. Traite historique et pratique de la gravure en bois.

Paris, chez Pierre Guillaume Simon, 1766 - 1768

3 Volumi in 4to. 205x135 mm. Legatura coeva in mezza pelle, dorsi con fregi in oro e 3 tasselli, piatti in cartonato marmorizzato. Pagine [7], VI-XXXII, 540; XV, [1], 388; [4], 124. Con Antiporta con ritratto al primo volume, 5 Tavole con stampe in chiaroscuro, numerose silografie nel testo, di cui 24 a piena pagina. Marginalia in inchiostro. Piccolo foro a p. 535-540 del 1° vol. con perdita di impaginazione, strappo alla carta i8 e macchia d'inchiostro al margine esterno di p. 154 e alla tavola a fronte nel secondo volume. Difetti alle legature, internamente qualche brunitura e foxing, occasionali macchie.

Prima edizione completa. Opera classica sulla stampa xilografica, comprendente una storia, un manuale tecnico e un supplemento con glossario. La datazione del terzo volume con il supplemento si ricava da un discorso di matrimonio del 13 giugno 1768, a pagina 97. 

Royal Academy of Arts: “The frontispiece portrait in Volume I is signed as drawn by J. Bap. Noel Gamot junior and engraved and drawn by Caron. The plates are unsigned. The title-page vignette of Volume I and several other in-text decorations are signed as designed and engraved by Papillon. … The publication date of 1766 is given on the three title pages, but the third volume contains a 'Discours Nuptial ... 1768'. … The frontispiece of Volume I shows a portrait of J. Baptiste Michel Papillon. The plate in Volume I, showing St Andrew, is a chiaroscuro woodcut; and the five plates in Volume II, showing a draped figure carrying a book, are an unusual series of prints from five variant chiaroscuro woodcuts, which would be used in succession to compose one final image. In-text illustrations show technical aspects of wood-engraving. The whole book is copiously decorated with examples of the vignettes, headpieces and tailpieces for which Papillon is now best known. Papillon was indeed so much in demand for this type of decorative wood-engraving and spent so much time at it that he wore out his own eyesight and was suspected by his wife of infidelity.”

Leavis 139-40; Bigmore & Wyman, II, p 116.