22 pp., 1 leaf of “Approbation.” Small 8vo (160 x 95 mm.), 19th-century calf-backed marbled boards (joints a little rubbed), red morocco lettering-piece on spine. Paris: Prault & Barrois, 1748.

A rare sale catalogue of the Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Gallic antiquities amassed by Valois (1671-1747), an early connoisseur of ancient objects, who was named antiquaire du roi. This was one of Gersaint’s final sales.

“Valois was the son and nephew of great 17th-century scholars, Adrien and Henri de Valois; antiquary of the king and pensionnaire de l’Académie des inscriptions, he accumulated sculptures, ancient bronze and more than 6000 medals... More

12, 250 pp. 8vo, attractive antique half-calf & speckled boards, spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine, a.e.g. Anvers: J. Grangé, [1773?].

An earlier owner attributes the ownership of this catalogue to Pierre François Gisbert de Schorel, seigneur de Wilryck (1716-73 or 1778) and mayor of Anvers, whose collection of paintings was sold the following year in Anvers by Grangé. Van Schorel was actively involved in the artistic life of Antwerp and in the early 1740s played an important role in the reorganization and financial support of the city’s Academie voor Schoone Kunsten. He formed one of the largest... More

Par Michel Huber [& continued by Jean Gottlob Stimmel from the 4th vol.]. Five vols. bound in seven. 8vo, not quite uniform cont. marbled boards (a little worn & rubbed, occasional foxing), pale blue lettering pieces on spines. Leipzig: Breitkopf & Hartel, [1802]-03-05-10-10.

The main series of auction catalogues of the most important collection of art formed in Leipzig in the 18th century. Winckler (1731-95), was a wealthy merchant and banker. Following his formal education, he made a European tour in Britain, Holland, and Switzerland and became intensely interested in art. Winckler started collecting prints and soon began buying paintings... More

36 pp. Small 8vo, attractive antique calf-backed paste paper boards, spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. Paris: Musier, 1774.

The uncommon sale catalogue of a distinguished collection belonging to Antoine Antonin, duc de Gramont (1722-1801), who inherited the title in 1745. 106 lots thoroughly described, including works by Albani, Guerchin, Wouwermans, Jordaens, Watteau, etc.

Nice copy, despite inoffensive marginal worming to first five leaves.

❧ Lugt 2348. More

36 pp. Small 8vo (170 x 105 mm.), late 19th-century brown morocco-backed marbled boards, spine gilt. Paris: Chariot & Joullain, 1775.

A scarce priced auction catalogue, which is, according to the Getty Provenance database, incorrectly attributed by Lugt (and the inscription on the present book’s title-page) to Lempereur (1701-79), a Parisian jeweler — not to be confused with his son, the collector Jean Baptiste Denis (1726-96). This anonymous sale very probably consisted of the estate of a man with a similar surname (see Lugt Marques, 1740). A contemporary annotator has added all prices.

The catalogue describes 252 lots, including 18... More

126 pp. 8vo (195 x 130 mm.), late 19th-cent. blue sheep-backed marbled boards, spine gilt. Paris: Lebrun, 1788.

A rare auction catalogue, priced throughout in a contemporary hand, of a formidable collection of paintings. Although Lugt attributes this to Montesquiou (1739-98), it seems that most of the lots did not belong to him. Jean Baptiste Pierre Lebrun (1748-1813), this sale’s expert, was known to add his inventory and lesser consignments to prestigious sales for which he was responsible. Montesquiou, member of the Académie Française and a general, was close to many of the physiocrats.

The present catalogue describes 276 lots... More

20 pp. 8vo (198 x 125 mm.), modern aubergine cloth (head of spine a little worn), title on upper cover. Paris: Félix & Regnault-Delalande, 1822.

An extremely rare auction catalogue inventorying the collection of an obscure painter active at the turn of the century. A contemporary annotator has written in the surname for this anonymous sale on the title-page, corroborating Lugt’s attribution. An 1817 almanac of Paris records a painter with the same surname working at rue de Rohan, 6. Viglianis also exhibited a landscape at the 1814 Salon — no. 948 in the exhibition livret.

184 lots, consisting primarily... More

Dont la Vente commencera le 4 Mars 1756. vi, 63 pp. 8vo, cont. vellum over boards, single gilt fillet round sides, flat spine gilt, gilt wheat sheaves in five of the compartments, red morocco lettering piece on spine. Paris: G. Martin & P.G. Simon, 1756.

[bound with]:

(SIREJACOB, J.A.J.). Catalogue d’une très-belle Collection d’Estampes, de Rubens, Van Dyck, Jordaens, Teniers, Callot & autres fameux Maîtres Italiens, François & Flamands. Assemblées depuis longues Années, & Délaissées par Monsieur J.A.J. Sirejacob, Ecuyer. Qui se Vendront…a Bruxelles, Lundi le 27. Août 1764. & jours suivans… 1 p.l., 76 pp. 8vo. Brussels: H.V. Lemincks, [1764]... More

Engraved allegorical frontis. 1 p.l., vi, 93 pp. 8vo, attractive antique calf-backed marbled boards, spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. N.p.: 1751.

First edition. Bachaumont (1690-1771) was an influential noble who grew up at the court of Versailles during the height of its significance as the political and cultural nucleus of France. He frequented the salons of Paris and was entangled in several controversies, one in particular regarding a journal filled with gossip ascertained at the salon of Madame Doublet de Persan, for which he may have been partially responsible. By the end of his life, he was... More

Black & white illus. throughout. Two large folded newsprint sheets (=8 pp.), loose as issued, mailed. New York: 1978.

The rarest Backworks catalogue, their third and hard to find in good condition. WorldCat locates no examples in North America. Backworks was a New York-based collaboration between Barbara Moore and Jon Hendricks, specializing in documents and artifacts of avant-garde and experimental art. Located at 488 Greenwich Street, the store was active into the early 80s. In 1981, Hendricks left the partnership to become curator of the Fluxus collection formed by Gilbert and Lila Silverman (now at the Museum of Modern Art... More

30 fine color paintings & 24 black ink drawings of various parts of the bamboo. 50 leaves. 4to (275 x 206 mm.), modern bright silk brocade wrappers, stitched as issued. [Probably Japan: late Edo].

A beautiful album of finely rendered drawings of bamboo, accompanied by explanatory text. There has been a long tradition in both China, since the eighth century, and Japan of illustrating bamboo, with much thought given to composition and the painting of the stems, knots, branches, and leaves. A number of treatises were written on the subject.

This handsomely painted manuscript contains many illustrations, all finely painted... More

Unpaginated. 8vo, pictorial wrappers, staple-bound. London: n.d.

A fascinating bookseller catalogue published by Andrew Sclanders. It lists 680 items, including materials related to MC5, concrete & visual poetry, Ed Sanders and the Fugs, Alfred Jarry, experimental music, and Andy Warhol and the Velvet Underground. A fine copy. More