Descrizione

AN IMPORTANT PUBLICATION, DOCUMENTING THE BIRTH OF ART NOUVEAU. 2 leaves, 37 plates. In 1880, Eugène Grasset contributed 111 wood-engraved ornaments (37 headpieces, 37 initials, and 37 tailpieces--one for each chapter) to the abbé Drioux's "Les fêtes chrétiennes". This was his first significant artistic work. By the mid-1890s, with Grasset at the height of his fame, Sagot (a major Parisian print dealer), seeing the first manifestation of art nouveau in these early ornaments, reprinted them with no text. (Oddly, Drioux's book is commonplace, but this book is very difficult to find.) Each plate features the headpiece, the initial, and the tailpiece of one chapter. Printed on good, coated wove paper. 4to. Original printed wraps. Wraps a bit darkened and worn. Internally UNCUT, FINE AND BRIGHT. A rare publication; very rare in this pristine state.