Advanced Search 
Fables choisies, mises en verse
Author: Jean de La Fontaine (French, 1621–1695)
Illustrated by: Jean-Baptiste Oudry (French, 1686–1755)
Engraved by: Pierre Alexandre Aveline (French, 1702–1760)
Engraved by: Jean Charles Baquoy (French, 1721–1777)
Engraved by: Laurent Cars (French, 1699–1771)
Engraved by: Pierre Quentin Chedel (French, 1705–1762)
Engraved by: Pierre Chenu (French, born in 1730)
Etched by: Charles-Nicolas Cochin le fils (French, 1715–1790)
Engraved by: Louis Legrand (French, 1723–1807)
Engraved by: Louis Simon Lempereur (French, 1725–1796)
Engraved by: Pierre Etienne Moitte (French, 1722–1780)
Engraved by: Benoît-Louis Prévost (French, about 1735–about 1804)
Engraved by: Pierre François Tardieu (French, 1711–1771)
Woodcuts by: Jean Michel Papillon (French, 1698–1776)
Woodcuts by: Nicolas Le Sueur (French, 1691–1764)
Vignettes by: Jean Jacques Bachelier (French, 1724–1806)
Engraved by: Michel Guillaume Aubert (French, 1700–1757)
Engraved by: Nicolas Dauphin de Beauvais (French, 1687–1763)
Engraved by: Jacques Firmin Beauvarlet (French, 1731–1797)
Engraved by: Justus (Juste) Chevillet (French, 1729–1802)
Engraved by: Catherine Elisabeth (Cousinet) Lempereur (French, born in 1726)
Engraved by: Nicolas Gabriel Dupuis (French, 1698–1771)
Engraved by: Pierre-Jean Duret (French, born in 1729)
Engraved by: J.-A. Defehrt (French, 1723–1774)
Engraved by: Etienne Fessard (French, 1714–1777)
Engraved by: Jean Jacques Flipart (French, 1719–1782)
Engraved by: Per Gustaf Floding (Swedish, 1731–1791)
Engraved by: Robert Gaillard (French, 1722–1785)
Engraved by: Claude Olivier Gallimard (French, 1720–1774)
Engraved by: Jacques Philippe Le Bas (French, 1707–1783)
Engraved by: Noël Le Mire (French, 1724–1801)
Engraved by: Martin Marvie (French, 1713–1813)
Engraved by: J. Menil (French, 18th century)
Engraved by: Pierre (Pitre) Martenasie (Flemish, worked in France, died in 1770?)
Engraved by: Johann Heinrich Rode (German, 1727–1759)
Engraved by: J. F. Poletnich (Bohemian, worked in France and Russia, active 1750–1780)
Engraved by: Jean Pelletier (French, born in 1736)
Engraved by: Antoine Radigues (French, worked in Russia, 1721–1809)
Engraved by: Pierre Pasquier (French, about 1730–1806)
Engraved by: Manuel Salvador Carmona (Spanish, 1734–1820)
Publisher: Desaint & Saillant (French, 18th century)
Printer: Charles Antoine Jombert (French, 1712–1784)
Illustrated by: Jean-Baptiste Oudry (French, 1686–1755)
Engraved by: Pierre Alexandre Aveline (French, 1702–1760)
Engraved by: Jean Charles Baquoy (French, 1721–1777)
Engraved by: Laurent Cars (French, 1699–1771)
Engraved by: Pierre Quentin Chedel (French, 1705–1762)
Engraved by: Pierre Chenu (French, born in 1730)
Etched by: Charles-Nicolas Cochin le fils (French, 1715–1790)
Engraved by: Louis Legrand (French, 1723–1807)
Engraved by: Louis Simon Lempereur (French, 1725–1796)
Engraved by: Pierre Etienne Moitte (French, 1722–1780)
Engraved by: Benoît-Louis Prévost (French, about 1735–about 1804)
Engraved by: Pierre François Tardieu (French, 1711–1771)
Woodcuts by: Jean Michel Papillon (French, 1698–1776)
Woodcuts by: Nicolas Le Sueur (French, 1691–1764)
Vignettes by: Jean Jacques Bachelier (French, 1724–1806)
Engraved by: Michel Guillaume Aubert (French, 1700–1757)
Engraved by: Nicolas Dauphin de Beauvais (French, 1687–1763)
Engraved by: Jacques Firmin Beauvarlet (French, 1731–1797)
Engraved by: Justus (Juste) Chevillet (French, 1729–1802)
Engraved by: Catherine Elisabeth (Cousinet) Lempereur (French, born in 1726)
Engraved by: Nicolas Gabriel Dupuis (French, 1698–1771)
Engraved by: Pierre-Jean Duret (French, born in 1729)
Engraved by: J.-A. Defehrt (French, 1723–1774)
Engraved by: Etienne Fessard (French, 1714–1777)
Engraved by: Jean Jacques Flipart (French, 1719–1782)
Engraved by: Per Gustaf Floding (Swedish, 1731–1791)
Engraved by: Robert Gaillard (French, 1722–1785)
Engraved by: Claude Olivier Gallimard (French, 1720–1774)
Engraved by: Jacques Philippe Le Bas (French, 1707–1783)
Engraved by: Noël Le Mire (French, 1724–1801)
Engraved by: Martin Marvie (French, 1713–1813)
Engraved by: J. Menil (French, 18th century)
Engraved by: Pierre (Pitre) Martenasie (Flemish, worked in France, died in 1770?)
Engraved by: Johann Heinrich Rode (German, 1727–1759)
Engraved by: J. F. Poletnich (Bohemian, worked in France and Russia, active 1750–1780)
Engraved by: Jean Pelletier (French, born in 1736)
Engraved by: Antoine Radigues (French, worked in Russia, 1721–1809)
Engraved by: Pierre Pasquier (French, about 1730–1806)
Engraved by: Manuel Salvador Carmona (Spanish, 1734–1820)
Publisher: Desaint & Saillant (French, 18th century)
Printer: Charles Antoine Jombert (French, 1712–1784)
1755–59
Place of Publication: Paris, France
Medium/Technique
Illustrated book with 276 etching and engravings, plus numerous woodcut vignettes
Dimensions
Overall (each vol., slight variants): 40.9 x 29 x 5 cm (16 1/8 x 11 7/16 x 1 15/16 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Mrs. Arthur Croft—The Gardner Brewer Collection
Accession Number01.8576.4
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsEurope, Prints and Drawings
ClassificationsIllustrated books
Paris: Charles-Antoine Jombert, for Desaint & Saillant, and Durand, 1755-59
Catalogue Raisonné
Cohen-de Ricci 548-50; Ray, French Illustrated Book, 5
Description(Paris: Charles-Antoine Jombert, for Desaint & Saillant, and Durand, 1755-59) Folio, four vols.; [v. 1] 88 leaves, plus 71 plates; [v. 2] 71 ll., plus 68 plates; [v. 3] 77 ll., plus 68 plates; [v. 4] 97 ll., plus 69 plates; contemporary gilt-stamped speckled brown calf.
Illustrations to La Fontaine's fables; decorative woodcut vignettes, most with flower motifs.
First edition with these illustrations, early printing with first plate for Fable 172 (vol. 3, p. 112) in early state before words "Le Léopard" on banner. The plates are printed on a heavier paper than the letterpress text. Oudry drew his 276 sketches from 1729 to 1734 in black and white on blue paper; the MFA owns one of these drawings, for Fable 223, "The Crayfish and her Daughter" (1979.290; vol. 4, facing p. 94). As specified in the caption to the frontispiece, Cochin redrew them all in a more detailed style more suitable for engraving. The numerous woodcut vignettes were cut by Le Sueur and Papillon after designs by Bachelier. As specified on p. 187 of vol. 4, "Toutes les estampes de cette édition" were printed by P. Thevenard, Imprimeur du Roi en taille-douce, and J. B. Dutertre, his successor.
Two later editions with copies of these plates in MFA are: 37.2342a-d (Bouillon: 1755) and 37.1461a-c (Leiden: 1786).
Illustrations to La Fontaine's fables; decorative woodcut vignettes, most with flower motifs.
First edition with these illustrations, early printing with first plate for Fable 172 (vol. 3, p. 112) in early state before words "Le Léopard" on banner. The plates are printed on a heavier paper than the letterpress text. Oudry drew his 276 sketches from 1729 to 1734 in black and white on blue paper; the MFA owns one of these drawings, for Fable 223, "The Crayfish and her Daughter" (1979.290; vol. 4, facing p. 94). As specified in the caption to the frontispiece, Cochin redrew them all in a more detailed style more suitable for engraving. The numerous woodcut vignettes were cut by Le Sueur and Papillon after designs by Bachelier. As specified on p. 187 of vol. 4, "Toutes les estampes de cette édition" were printed by P. Thevenard, Imprimeur du Roi en taille-douce, and J. B. Dutertre, his successor.
Two later editions with copies of these plates in MFA are: 37.2342a-d (Bouillon: 1755) and 37.1461a-c (Leiden: 1786).
ProvenanceGardner Brewer [bookplate]; 1901, bequest of Mrs. Arthur Croft to the MFA. (Accession date: February 4, 2015)