Les Fleurs Animees.

1847. GRANDVILLE, J.J. Les Fleurs Animées. Introduction by Alphonse Karr. Text by Taxile Delord. Two volumes. [3]-260; [2], 102, [4], iv, [2], 106-166, [2], iv, 169-234, [2] pp., illustrated with 2 engraved title-pages, 50 hand-coloured engraved plates by Grandville, plus 2 engraved botanical plates. 4to, 264 x 178 mm., bound in original publisher's cartonnage bindings, richly gilt, a.e.g. Paris: Gabriel de Gonet, [1847?]. A fine copy, in the original publisher's cartonnage bindings, a true classic of floral surrealism. This copy, with superb hand colouring to the engravings, belongs to a hitherto undescribed edition, with a separate pagination for the two parts. Of all his works Les Fleurs Animées was Grandville's own personal favorite. In the fifty hand-coloured plates Grandville portrays a flower or plant metamorphosized into a lady clad in the petals or leaves particular to that flower or plant. Further, his flower turned human exhibits the human personality traits which Grandville perceives as characteristic of the species he is illustrating. Les Fleurs Animées is "a little world created [and] governed by its own laws, which was full of significance for Grandville" (Ray). Occasional inoffensive foxing, not detracting from the finely coloured plates. Two tipped on gilt-stamped pieces from the spine missing. Now rare in the publisher's binding. Renonciat, Grandville p. 287. Carteret III, 286. Ray 198. Plesch 241. Sello, Grandville: Das Gesamte Werk II, 1500-1508.