French erotica
Collection of works illustrated by Paul-Emile Bécat, in custom erotic bindings
£1,134
Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photographs
Auction: 19 June 2024 from 10:00 BST
Description
All bindings unless otherwise stated by Jayne Tandy of Williton Somerset, for Gordon P. Smith of Brampton, Cumbria, with enclosed paperwork, spines sunned. Titles comprise:
Laclos, Choderlos. Les liaisons dangereuses. Paris: Editions Athêna, [1949]. One of 890 copies on Rives BFK, 2 volumes, 4to, bound in 2000 in blue-green crushed morocco gilt, embossed designs to covers, moiré silk endpapers, edges untrimmed, 26 colour pochoir plates including additional vignette title-pages and frontispieces, etched bookplates of Gordon P. Smith numbered and signed by the artist in pencil, custom cloth slipcase;
Boylesve, [René]. Le pied fourchu. Paris: Editions du Baniyan, 1959. One of 150 copies on Rives with an additional suite of engravings, 4to, bound in 2008 in green crushed morocco gilt with design of a nude woman to front cover, moiré silk endpapers, fore and bottom edges untrimmed, 15 etched plates, suite of 15 additional etchings loose in custom green cloth chemise, custom green cloth slipcase,
ibid. Les bains de Bade. Paris: Editions du Baniyan, 1958. One of 350 copies on Rives, 4to, bound in 2008 in green crushed morocco gilt with design of a nude woman to front cover, moiré silk endpapers, fore and bottom edges untrimmed, 14 etched plates, custom green cloth slipcase;
Gautier, Théophile. Fortunio ou l'Eldorado. Paris: Germaine Raoult, 1956. One of 265 copies on Rives, 4to, bound in 2008 in green crushed morocco gilt with design of a nude woman to front cover, moiré silk endpapers, fore and bottom edges untrimmed, 14 etched plates including frontispiece, custom green cloth slipcase;
La Fontaine, Jean de. Les Amours de Psyché et de Cupidon. Paris: Les Heures Claires, 1955. One of 500 copies on Rives, bound in 2008 in green crushed morocco gilt with design of a nude woman to front cover, moiré silk endpapers, fore and bottom edges untrimmed, 15 etched plates including additional title-page, frontispiece, and ‘planche supplémentaire’;
Brantôme, Pierre de. La vie des dames galantes. Paris: Editions Athéna, 1948. One of 1449 copies on Rives BFK, 2 volumes, 4to, bound in 2001 in red crushed morocco gilt with design of a nude woman to covers, etched erotic colour bookplates of Gordon P. Smith signed and numbered by the artist, custom red cloth slipcase;
Verlaine, Paul. Chansons pour Elle et Odes en son Honneur. Paris: Les Heures Claires, 1954. One of 359 copies on Rives, 4to, bound in 2002 in purple crushed morocco gilt with erotic design to front cover, fore and bottom edges untrimmed, 7 etched plates including additional title-pages and frontispiece, 11 half-page etchings, custom purple cloth slipcase;
Soulages, Gabriel. Le malheureux petit voyage, ou La misérable fin de Made de Conflans, Princesse de la Marsaille. Paris: Editions du Baniyan, 1950. One of 150 copies on Renage teinté, 4to, bound in 2001 in pink crushed morocco gilt with design of a nude woman to front cover, fore and bottom edges untrimmed, colour frontispiece and plates, etched erotic colour bookplate of Gordon P. Smith numbered and signed by the artist, custom slipcase;
Casanova, Jacques. Mes amours à Venise. Paris: Germaine Raoult, 1954. One of 300 copies on Rives, 4to, bound in 1999 by Philip N. Brook in blue crushed morocco gilt with printed pictorial onlay, 8 etched plates including frontispiece, 12 etched vignettes in text, proof etching on silk inset into card mount and bound in at front, etched erotic bookplate of Gordon P. Smith, custom slipcase;
Ovid. L'art d'aimer. Paris: Editions Athêna, 1952. One of 185 on Rives BFK with a suite of additional plates, 4to, bound in 1996 by Philip N. Brook in hard-grain red morocco, top edge gilt, others untrimmed, 13 coloured etched plates, suite of 13 uncoloured plates loose in custom marbled paper wallet, etched erotic bookplate of Gordon P. Smith signed by the artist Lynn Paula Russell, custom slipcase.
Together with 5 similar works (not illustrated by Bécat): Dee McDonald's Purple Pillow Book, London: Erotic Print Society, 2003 (small 4to, bound in 2004 by Jayne Tandy in purple morocco with gilt erotic design to covers, the work containing an article on the erotic bookplates of Gordon P. Smith); Jules Romain (illustrator), Les sonnets luxurieux de l'Arétin, 1904 (one of 340 copies on vélin d'Arches, oblong 4to, green morocco by Jayne Tandy, shagreen inlay to front cover, erotic design gilt to rear cover, slipcase); Michel Siméon (illustrator), Cécile ou les rencontres amoureuses, [no date] (one of 400 copies on vélin, yellow morocco by Jayne Tandy gilt with erotic design, slipcase); Suzanne Ballivet (illustrator), Les chansons de Bilitis, 1943 (one of XX copies on vélin with a suite of additional illustrations in black and white, this copy with a further suite of illustrations in colour, green morocco by Jayne Tandy gilt with erotic design); and 1 other (16)