One of 150 copies on Velin de Rives, “Imprimé spécialement pour/ MONSIEUR ANDRE MALRAUX/Ministere D’État / Chargé Des Affaires Culturelles” signed and inscribed by the author, “Hommage de l’auteur”. Menars, located on the Loire, began in the 17th century as a classical French garden and chateau. For a brief period (1760-1764), it served as the residence residence of Madame de Pompadour, who added her personal touch to the chateau with the help of architect, Jacques-Ange Gabriel. Following her death, her brother, the marquis de Marigny, engaged Jacques-Gabriel Soufflot to further develop the site. The exuberant drawings of Anne Français fill this colorful book with impressions of visits to Menars in winter and in spring. While leading the reader through the interior and exterior spaces, she often succeeds in demonstrating their interrelationship. Accompanying text offers an overview of the history of Menars. A very charming book, printed by Mourlot and entirely designed by Français, known venting the concept of “ionnisme” in painting. With drawings, watercolors, text and mise en page executed entirely by the author/artist and produced in black and white and color lithograph at Mourlot, Paris. Copy printed for Andre Malraux

Six scarce and lovely chromolithographed views of various sites and structures in Central Park as they appeared within the first decade of its opening. These are album cards printed by America’s prolific chromolithographer Louis Prang and designed for inclusion in an album or scrapbook. There were 36 cards issued in total during this period, 12 per series. By 1869, another 2 series, titled a bit differently, were issued, making a total of 60 cards in all. Our six include: “Abode of the Swans; “The Music Temple”; “The Tower”; “Ornamental Bridge”; “The Drive”. and “The Bridle Path”. With the exception of the “Abode of the Swans”, where, of course, the swans gliding in their pond are the focus, the scenes are peopled showing current dress and fashion. “(Prang’s) publication of album cards was an especially happy idea. In the late nineteenth century an album holding colorful cards was found on the center table of every parlor. The cards were put up in envelopes containing twelve cards each, and their subjects included flowers, leaves, birds, butterflies, animals, marine and landscape views.” (McClinton. THE CHROMOLITHOGRAPHS OF LOUIS PRANG, page 4). We find a listing for the whole collection only in the Avery Library at Columbia.

A rare suite of eight aquatint views of the gardens of the Tuileries by Swiss artist, Johann Heinrich Troll created at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The scenes in the park with their elegant women in Empire dress and the focus classical style statuary and ornament underscores the interest of Napoleon’s Parisian society in an adopted imperial Roman flair. The plates are as follows: Vue du Grand Bassin prise derrière la Statue de L'Automne; Bosquet des Lutteurs ; Méléagre, Allée des Orangers; Bosquet du Centaure Chiron; Palais des Tuileries a l'Entrée de l'Allée des Orangers; Apollon et Daphné; Vue prise près du grand Bassin; Escalier du Milieu de la Terrasse du cote de la Rivière. In addition to structures, large, elongated trees, and garden ornaments, including sculpture, there are people, including children, carefully posed and, just occasionally, little animals, enlivening each scene. Two copies in CCFR are described as "8 estampes aquatint" and the BNF notes that the publication date is arrived at from the dates when the illustrated statues were known to have been present in the gardens. Rare as a complete set; OCLC records only one copy in the US (Dumbarton Oaks). With the bookplates of collector Serge Le Tellier and of Félicie Meunié d’Hostel.