Neighbour Peter’s mare, illustration by Charles Eisen. From Tales and Novels in verse, by Jean de La Fontaine, vol. 2, London, 1896.
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The picture, illustration by Charles Eisen. From Tales and Novels in verse, by Jean de La Fontaine, vol. 2, London, 1896.
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Feronde, illustration by Charles Eisen. From Tales and Novels in verse, by Jean de La Fontaine, vol. 2, London, 1896.
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The Devil of Pope-Fig Island, illustration by Charles Eisen. From Tales and Novels in verse, by Jean de La Fontaine, vol. 2, London, 1896.
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King Candaules and the doctors of law, illustration by Charles Eisen. From Tales and Novels in verse, by Jean de La Fontaine, vol. 2, London, 1896.
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The dressmaker, by Charles Eisen. From Tales and Novels in verse, by Jean de La Fontaine, vol. 2, London, 1896.
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The case of conscience, by Charles Eisen. From Tales and Novels in verse, by Jean de La Fontaine, vol. 2, London, 1896.
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The pack-saddle, by Charles Eisen. From Tales and Novels in verse, by Jean de La Fontaine, vol. 2, London, 1896.
The original edition of Contes et nouvelles en vers, by La Fontaine, from which these illustrations were taken, is arguably the most famous set of books (two volumes) in French bibliophilia, and one of the finest of the XVIIIth century.
It is usually referred to as the farmers-general’s edition (l’édition des fermiers généraux), because those wealthy tax collectors put up the money for it. They stopped at nothing to make it magnificent, hiring Charles Eisen, who delicately amplified in his illustrations what the tales suggested. They also asked Chauffard, an ornamental engraver, to work on the chapter tailpieces.
Only 2000 copies were printed in Paris by Barbou, on Holland paper, and published in 1762, in usually equally lavish bindings (get a glimpse there).
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