Fables de La Fontaine avec de nouvelles Gravures exécutées en Relief

Abstract

There are several remarkable things about this little (3½ x 5¾) paperbound book. First, it has survived 165 years! Secondly, it seems to claim different publishing houses and places of publication between the cover (Paris: Chez Lebigre Frères, Libraires) and the title-page (Limoges: Barbou, Imprimeur-Libraire). The illustrations are simple but effective, starting with the unusual landscape-formatted frontispiece of a man reflecting out in nature. Perhaps somewhere between one-third and one-half of the fables are illustrated. As the title-page points out, this is one of those editions that highlights the moral of the fable--wherever it might be found in the fable--with italics. Pages 11-14 are missing.