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Author: Jean de La Fontaine (French, 1621–1695)
Illustrated by: Charles Eisen (French, 1720–1778)
Engraved by: Joseph de Longueil (French, 1730–1792)
Engraved by: Noël Le Mire (French, 1724–1801)
Engraved by: Jean-Jacques André Le Veau (French, 1729–1786)
Engraved by: Jacques Aliamet (French, 1726–1788)
Engraved by: Jean Charles Baquoy (French, 1721–1777)
Engraved by: Pierre-Philippe Choffard (French, 1730–1809)
Engraved by: Jean Baptiste Delafosse (French, 1721–1806)
Engraved by: Jean Jacques Flipart (French, 1719–1782)
Engraved by: Louis Simon Lempereur (French, 1725–1796)
Engraved by: Jean Ouvrier (French, 1725–1784)
Printer: Joseph Gérard Barbou (French, 1723–1790)
1762
Place of Publication: Paris, France

Medium/Technique Illustrated book with 82 etching and engravings
Dimensions Overall (each vol., depth variable): 16.7 x 11.5 x 2.7 cm (6 9/16 x 4 1/2 x 1 1/16 in.)
Credit Line William A. Sargent Collection—Bequest of William A. Sargent
Accession Number37.1454a-b
NOT ON VIEW
ClassificationsIllustrated books
Amsterdam [i.e., Paris: Barbou] 1762

Catalogue Raisonné Cohen-de Ricci 568
Description(Amsterdam [i.e., Paris: Barbou] 1762) Octavo, two vols.; [v. 1] 143 leaves, plus 39 plates; [v. 2] 161 ll., plus 41 pls.; modern half gilt-stamped blue morocco, marbled paper boards (David).

Illustrations to La Fontaine's tales. According to Cohen-de Ricci (568), this is an early issue ("premier essai") of the text only for the Fermiers-généraux edition, later supplied with engravings after Eisen and vignettes by Choffard, plus frontispiece portraits of La Fontaine and Eisen. This issue contains woodcut fleurons and vignettes instead, though there are two (different) etched headpieces in the first tale of each volume. Bound with this copy are a set of later (reengraved) impressions of the Eisen plates, with borders removed (on a preliminary leaf, the donor has cited a date of 1808 for these plates).

The MFA owns a copy of the final illustrated 1762 edition (37.1455a-b).
ProvenanceAcquired in 1909 by William A. Sargent, Boston (1858-1936), by whom bequeathed to MFA, November 17, 1937.