Catalogue de Tableaux précieux; Miniatures & Gouaches; Figures, Bustes & Vases de marbre & de...
iv, 228 pp. Small 8vo, cont. mottled calf (expertly rebacked), spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. Paris; London; Amsterdam; Brussels: 1776.
The uncommon sale catalogue of Blondel de Gagny (1695-1776), one of the greatest art collectors of the 18th century. Blondel served as France’s general treasurer and later supervised the decoration of Louis XVI’s countless parties and feasts. He was a veritable tastemaker, who revived styles and schools that had been underappreciated for decades simply by displaying them in his house which was open to visitors. The sales of his estate are momentous events in the history of... More