Un Autre Monde: Transformations, visions, incarnations, ascensions, locomotions, explorations, peregrinations ... &c
Grandville, (Jean-Ignace-Everard Gérard).. Delord, Taxile
Paris. H. Fournier, Libraire-Editeur. 1844
Grandville's finest book and magnum opus, an extraordinary imaginative tour de force in a highly unusual variant of the publisher's binding.
'Un nouveau monde est né; que Grandville soit loué.' (Max Ernst).
Grandville's most remarkable book, an expansive flight of inspirational fantasy, and a remarkable precursor. It is clear that the influence of this work extends onward in the nineteenth and well into the twentieth centuries and beyond. A remarkable work of sui generis imaginative verve, Grandville produced the illustration which was then 'illustrated' with a commissioned text. The tale of three demi-gods, 'Dr. Puff', 'Dr. Krackq', and 'Dr. Hahblle', their created worlds and travels. The work, a descendant of the works of Swift and Goya, inspired, in passing, Lewis Carroll ('La Battaille des Cartes'), Max Ernst, the Surrealists in general as well as later caricaturists such as Steadman and Scarfe.
The binding for the present copy, not cited by Carteret is likely unique. As for the very few other known copies in variant bindings, the front board reproduces the frontispiece showing 'la Charge et la Fantaisie passant de l'ancien monde à l'autre' (signed by Liebherre) beneath another tool with the title on a cloth or scarf held by a female figure in water flanked by a mermaid on a cushion and a swimming woman partially eclipsing a sun. The rear board, most usually blank or displaying the same stamp, here features another, taken from the 'Petites Misères de la Vie Humaine'.
'In this remarkable book, of the boldest possible originality, Grandville dared to reveal his dream to the public.' (Ray).
The full title - which gives a good indication of the enormously broad scope of the work - reads as follows: 'Un Autre Monde: Transformations, visions, incarnations, ascensions, locomotions, explorations, pérégrinations, excursions, stations, cosmogonies, fantasmagories, rêveries, folâtreries, facéties, lubies, métamorphoses, zoomorphoses, lithomorphoses, métempsycoses, apothéoses et autre choses.'
[Ray 196; SR / BF 76 / 77; Carteret III, 285; Rebeyrat 287].
'Un nouveau monde est né; que Grandville soit loué.' (Max Ernst).
Grandville's most remarkable book, an expansive flight of inspirational fantasy, and a remarkable precursor. It is clear that the influence of this work extends onward in the nineteenth and well into the twentieth centuries and beyond. A remarkable work of sui generis imaginative verve, Grandville produced the illustration which was then 'illustrated' with a commissioned text. The tale of three demi-gods, 'Dr. Puff', 'Dr. Krackq', and 'Dr. Hahblle', their created worlds and travels. The work, a descendant of the works of Swift and Goya, inspired, in passing, Lewis Carroll ('La Battaille des Cartes'), Max Ernst, the Surrealists in general as well as later caricaturists such as Steadman and Scarfe.
The binding for the present copy, not cited by Carteret is likely unique. As for the very few other known copies in variant bindings, the front board reproduces the frontispiece showing 'la Charge et la Fantaisie passant de l'ancien monde à l'autre' (signed by Liebherre) beneath another tool with the title on a cloth or scarf held by a female figure in water flanked by a mermaid on a cushion and a swimming woman partially eclipsing a sun. The rear board, most usually blank or displaying the same stamp, here features another, taken from the 'Petites Misères de la Vie Humaine'.
'In this remarkable book, of the boldest possible originality, Grandville dared to reveal his dream to the public.' (Ray).
The full title - which gives a good indication of the enormously broad scope of the work - reads as follows: 'Un Autre Monde: Transformations, visions, incarnations, ascensions, locomotions, explorations, pérégrinations, excursions, stations, cosmogonies, fantasmagories, rêveries, folâtreries, facéties, lubies, métamorphoses, zoomorphoses, lithomorphoses, métempsycoses, apothéoses et autre choses.'
[Ray 196; SR / BF 76 / 77; Carteret III, 285; Rebeyrat 287].
pp. (ii), (i), (i), 295, (i). Large 8vo. (272 x 212 mm). Half-title in red with pseudo-privilège verso (also in red), leaf with frontispiece verso, printed title in red and printed text illustrated with 36 hors-texte wood-engraved plates all with additional colouring by hand and 146 wood-engravings in the text, final two leaves with 'Table', 'Explication' and 'Errata' verso. Original publisher's green morocco-backed green percaline, the front board with large central pictorial vignette reproducing the frontispiece beneath the pictorial title vignette, rear board with gilt vignette from 'Petites Misères de la Vie Humaine', banded green morocco spine with elaborate gilt tooling and titles in five compartments, marbled endpapers, green silk placemarker, t.e.g.
#47349
