Descrizione

THE OWNER'S HEAVILY AND NEATLY ANNOTATED COPY OF THIS IMPORTANT CATALOGUE of 18th-century French and English prints, with his notes concerning each item. 116 pp, printed on fine wove paper. 799 items. Interleaved throughout, with paper identical to that used for the printed book. On the first added leaf Decloux writes, very neatly and in ink, that he accumulated this collection between 1878 and 1888, and that the total price realized by this auction was 150,442 francs. On the other added leaves there are four columns: (1) The lot number; (2) The price paid by Decloux, sometimes with an explanation of when, where, and how he purchased the item (some of these descriptions are initialed by Decloux); (3) The price fetched at this auction (with running totals at the top and bottom of each page); and (4) The name of the buyer. There are extensive sections devoted to prints by and after Deboucourt, Baudouin, Lavreince, Moreau le jeune, Alix, Boucher, Coutellier, Huet, and Janinet. Large 4to. Beautifully bound by Canapé-Belz (signed) in three-quarters morocco and decorated boards, top edge gilt, spine elaborately gilt in six compartments, silk ribbon page marker. A bit of wear to extremities, internally FINE AND BRIGHT. A very handsome book, and A UNIQUE AND IMPORTANT DOCUMENT.