Sims Reed Rare Books×

CARICATURE, LA. Journal Fondé et Dirigé par Ch. Philipon. Nos. 1 - 251. (All Published)

Caricature

Paris. Chez Aubert, au Grand Magasin de Caricatures et Nouveautés Lithographiques, Galerie Vero-Dodat. 1830 4 nov–1835 27 août
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A fine complete copy of La Caricature with an original drawing by Grandville and a large number of additional plates and other material.

Edited by Philipon in the few years that censorship was relaxed, La Caricature is the most evocative revue of the Romantic period, taking an important role in the fight of the liberals against Louis-Philippe and his ministers. Although a courageous editor, Philipon, with the literary help of Desnoyers, Hugo, and Balzac, was not a great artist and needed the inspiration of Daumier and Grandville to bring alive his satirical magazine.

Issued over only five years La Caricature has become the most famous of the nineteenth century satirical magazines. The major contributors were Daumier and Grandville but there are contributions by Monnier, Lami, Descamps, Raffet, Gavarni, Deveria, Bouquet, Travies, Desperret, Forest, Roubaud and others.

Complete with the 4 bis or unnumbered plates, all the volume wrappers, and all the volume indices (index never published for final volume).

This copy features the following additional material:

'Prospectus et Numéro Modèle' -2 plates (a lithograph by Grandville and a hand-coloured lithograph by Monnier) with the rare wrapper with text printed on white paper. 'Très rare ... '. (Carteret III, p.112).

Plate 74 with a presentation from Henri Monnier.

Issue 30: 'Supplément', an additional leaf of text with details of a case in the Cours d'Assises, 'Procés de la Caricature - Les Bulles de Savon' at which La Caricature was prosecuted and acquitted.

Issue 56: 'Supplément' which features details of the case against La Caricature and the famous 'Croquades Faites à l'Audience du 14 Nov. (Cours d'Assises)' which features the four-stage transformation of Louis Philippe into a pear. The verso features a defence of caricature by 'Le Comte Alex. de B ... ' and a note by the publisher Aubert; a second version is also present, loosely inserted, on white paper.

Original drawing by Grandville for plate 200 / 201, 'Les Faux Dieux d'Olympe'.

Issue 124: 'Supplément', single folded sheet of pink paper (434 x c.312 mm) printed recto only, announcing the 'Théâtre des Folies-Politiques' and the first performance of 'L'Attentat Risible, ou Le Pistolet Philanthrope'.

'Among volumes devoted to pictorial satire, La Caricature is perhaps the most famous. Despite continuous harassment from its founding until its final suppression, it was unwavering in the ferocity with which it attacked Louis Philippe and his regime ... La Caricature has many kinds of importance, historical as well as artistic ... Though it had a large initial circulation, complete sets in acceptable condition have become very uncommon.' (Ray).

Full details of the further additional material is available on request.

[Ray 160; Carteret III, 111 - 112; see Clive Frank Getty (& S. Guillaume), Grandville, Dessins Originaux, Nancy, 1986].
10 vols. 4to. (330 x 268 mm). 251 issues, each with 4 pages of text (some with an additional 2 page 'Supplément' - see below); plates numbered 1 - 524, plus 4 unnumbered or bis plates (total 528 plates). Volume wrapper for each vol. retained together with index leaves. Printed text in French in double-columns on yellow paper throughout. Many plates with additional flaps for before and after views or trompe l'oeil effects, one movable panorama, numerous double-page or folding plates, a large number with additional colouring by hand and heightened with gum arabic and / or watercolour; plates mounted on tabs throughout. Scarlet crushed morocco-backed marbled boards by Pagnant with his stamp to front free endpapers verso, banded spines with titles gilt in six compartments, marbled endpapers, t.e.g.
#45241

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