LA FONTAINE (Jean de). - Lot 169

LA FONTAINE (Jean de). Fables choisies. Paris: Louis Conard, 1930-1933. -In-8, 201x137: LXII, 234 pp. (2 ff. last blank), illustrated cover; 290 pp. (3 ff. last 2 blanks), illustrated cover; 355 pp. (2 ff. last blank), illustrated cover. Green half-maroquin with stripes, gilt fillets, spine decorated in the central box with a scene from one of La Fontaine's fables, mosaic of different types of morocco, gilt head, untrimmed, cover and spine preserved, case (G. Levitsky). Charming edition illustrated with a portrait of the author drawn and engraved by Baudier, 12 decorative compositions by Pierre de Laprade, and 250 headpieces by Edmond Malassis and Fred-Money, all wood-engraved in color by Paul and André Baudier. A copy of the ordinary edition on vellum pur chiffon, but beautifully bound in the period by Grégoire Levitzky. It has been enriched with 3 fine original watercolors signed by the painter and illustrator Fred-Money (1882-1956), whose real name was François-Raoul Billon. A pupil of Georges-Antoine Rochegrosse, he was a friend of Renoir and Montézin, and distinguished himself as one of the great post-impressionist painters of the period. The watercolors are hors texte, placed at the head of each volume; they represent fables by La Fontaine: Le Corbeau et le renard (The Raven and the Fox), Un animal dans la lune (An Animal in the Moon) and La Lionne et l'ours (The Lioness and the Bear). A very well preserved copy, despite one side of the slipcase being loose.