Saverien, Histoires des philosophes modernes, Paris, 1760-1766, 5 volumes, armorial red morocco

Alexandre Savérien and Jean-Charles François

Histoire des philosophes modernes, avec leur portrait gravé dans le goût du crayon, d'après les desseins des plus grands peintres. Paris: François, 1760-1766

5 volumes, 4to (288 x 214mm.), engraved title-pages (some with printed labels pasted on to amend the section title), engraved frontispieces, half-titles in volumes 1, 3 and 5, engraved headpieces, 42 engraved portraits (or allegories of portraits), and 15 engravings of cherubs pasted into volumes 3-5 at end of sections of text, all printed in sanguine, contemporary red morocco gilt with the arms of Charles Emmanuel III of Savoy, with the name Caissottis stamped in gilt above, spines gilt in compartments (armorials and spine decoration on volumes 4-5 slightly different), gilt edges, a few plates shaved, extremities very slightly rubbed

A fine set of the second edition of this collection of crayon portraits by the engraver Jean-Charles François (1717-1769), in a technique created by him to provide the grainy appearance of crayon drawings. The categories included are philosophers, scientists and political theorists, and among the characters represented are Newton, Tycho Brahe and Kepler; Hobbes, Locke and Bayle; Bacon, Gassendi and Descartes; Montaigne, Grotius and Pufendorf.

LITERATURE

Cohen-De Ricci 942

PROVENANCE

Charles Emanuel III of Savoy (1701-1773), arms on binding; Caissottis, name stamped on binding, presumably Conte Carlo Francesco Giacinto Caissotti di Chiusano (1754-1831), the renowned book collector; Bernard Quaritch, pencil note of collation at end of volume 1, dated 1982