Books

First edition, very rare first print of the first issue; 4 folio volumes, 412x262 mm, of this extraordinary work, considered to be one of the finest illustrated books ever produced in France. Coeval binding, red morocco plates framed by golden roulette, smooth caramel-coloured spine with gold friezes and two inserts with title and volume number in gold, gold edges, marbled paper endpapers, cases lined with marbled paper. Vol. I: Frontispiece, Full-page portrait, pages XXX, XVIII, 124, 70 Plates; Vol. II: pp. [4], II, 135, 1 blank, 68 Plates; Vol. III: pp. [4], IV, 146, 68 Plates;Vol. IV: pp. [4], II, 188, 69 Plates. All volumes with half-title and title pages unnumbered. Vignette in the title, engraved headpieces and finials, 209 woodcuts in the text. Splendid allegorical frontispiece with the bust of La Fontaine of Oudry, finished by Dupuis and engraved by Cochin, a portrait of Oudry engraved by Tardieu based on a design by Largillière (rarely found only in some cases) and 275…

Fables choisies, mises en vers is a celebrated collection of fables written by the French poet Jean de La Fontaine. First published in 1668, this classic work comprises a series of short tales, each with its own moral lesson, inspired by Aesop and other classical sources.