La Fontaine, Fables choisies, Paris, 1755-1759, 4 volumes, contemporary marbled calf

LA FONTAINE, JEAN DE

Fables choisies, mises en vers. Tome premier (-quatrieme). Paris: Charles-Antoine Jombert for Desaint & Saillant, and Durand, 1755-1759

4 volumes, folio (420 x 276mm.), half-titles, engraved frontispiece portrait of Oudry, additional engraved frontispiece portrait of Oudry by Tardieu after Largilliere bound after half-title, woodcut head- and tailpieces by Bachelier, 275 plates by Oudry engraved by Aubert, Aveline and others, plate for "Le singe et le léopard" in its second (lettered) state, contemporary marbled calf, triple gilt fillet border, spines gilt in compartments, marbled edges, a few small areas of damp-staining, head of spine of vol.1 chipped, vol.4 binding slightly soiled

Jean-Baptiste Oudry (1686-1755) prepared the artwork for this edition of La Fontaine between 1729 and 1734. He was renowned for his paintings of animals, many of which were based on the menagerie at Versailles. The illustrations were then revised by Cochin, who improved the artwork of the human characters at the expense of the animals.

LITERATURE:

Cohen-De Ricci 548; Rochambeau, Fables 86; Michel, Cochin 198; Ray 5