Robert Nanteuil. Sa vie et son oeuvre.

ONLY EDITION OF THIS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND RARE MONOGRAPH ON NANTEUIL (the title page says "second edition" because Loriquet's discourse--without the documentation--had previously been published in a periodical). 2 leaves; 154 pp. Aside from Loriquet's comments, this book contains extensive documentation concerning Nanteuil, all published for the first and only time: documents concerning his family, the text of his poetry, his opinions about printmaking, catalogues of all of his works in all media, the inventory of his estate, etc. EDITION LIMITED TO ONLY 100 COPIES, OF WHICH THIS IS ONE OF ONLY TEN COPIES WITH THE ENGRAVED FRONTISPIECE PORTRAIT OF NANTEUIL (by Varin after Nanteuil) IN TWO STATES. Louis Metcalfe, writing about Nanteuil in "Prints and Their Makers" (New York: Century, 1912), states that "In 1854, Charles Loriquet, curator of the library of Rheims, who had just completed a collection of Nanteuil's portraits for the city museum, addressed the Academy at one of its public sittings and eloquently pleaded with the authorities to erect a monument to him who he considered second only to the great Colbert as the most illustrious son of Rheims. His description of the artist and his work created such enthusiasm that he was later induced to publish it, together with some interesting documents concerning Nanteuil. The unique little book found its way into many libraries, private as well as public, and has ever since been unfindable." The copy I offer was in fact Metcalfe's, with his charming engraved bookplate on the front pastedown. Large 8vo. ELEGANTLY BOUND IN 19TH-CENTURY FULL MIDNIGHT MOROCCO BY AFFERNI (signed), with spine, borders, and turn-ins beautifully gilt. (Afferni was a Venetian binder, and his work rivaled that of the best French binders of the day.) All edges gilt. Tiny traces of wear to extremities, else FINE AND BRIGHT. A rare and important book.