viii, 167 pp. 8vo, orig. pink paper wrappers, uncut. Paris: Regnault-Delalande, 1803.

A rare sale catalogue, fully priced in a contemporary hand. This sale took place following the death of the widow of Jean Guillaume Alibert (?1763-180?), who died shortly after her husband. He was a well-known dealer and publisher of prints on Rue Fromenteau in Paris. The business’s stock was liquidated and the present catalogue features famous works by Audran, Callot, Edelinck, Pesne, etc.

The star of the sale, to which Regnault-Delalande devotes no less than 52 pages of the catalogue (pp. 97-148), was a “Recueil de Portraits de... More

3 pp. Small 8vo, modern calf-backed marbled semi-stiff boards (spine slightly rubbed), spine gilt. [Paris: 1769].

An interleaved and annotated copy of this rare catalogue. Amand (1730-69), winner of the 1756 Prix de Rome for his Samson and Delilah (now at the Landesmuseum in Mainz), studied under Jean Baptiste Marie Pierre and became a member of the Académie in 1767. He is very probably the “Jean François Amand or Aman” known to be working in Rome in 1759. From a printed note at the end of the catalogue, we learn that Amand died during a stay in Rome where he... More

Finely engraved frontis. (mounted on a stub at an early date). xvi, ix-xii, 306, lv pp. Small 8vo (165 x 100 mm.), cont. mottled sheep, green morocco lettering-pieces on spine, spine gilt. Paris: P. Prault & J. Barrois, 1747.

The uncommon catalogue of one of Gersaint’s great auctions, with his customary erudite descriptions. The Vicomte de Fonspertuis (1669-1747), “despite a Jansenist education, entered whole-heartedly into the life of the royal court and won the favour of Philippe II, Duc d’Orléans. He developed his love of art through his maternal uncle, Du Vivier, who bequeathed him his remarkable collection, rich in... More

47 pp. Small 8vo (169 x 102 mm.), modern marbled boards, gilt title on spine. [Paris: 1747].

A scarce and early auction catalogue dispersing a substantial collection of paintings belonging to a “Baron de Banckheim,” possibly a fictitious provenance. We also do not know the expert in charge of this sale, but we do see that they borrowed heavily from the celebrated catalogues of the leading art dealer of the time, Edme François Gersaint (1694-1750). The foremost scholar on Gersaint, Guillaume Glorieux, writes that a number of catalogues of this period plagiarized the authoritative biographies of artists composed by Gersaint.

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Woodcut vignette on title. 24 pp. 8vo (200 x 125 mm.), late 19th-century stiff marbled boards (spine a little rubbed), brown morocco lettering-piece on spine. Paris: C. Ballard, 1758.

A rare early sale catalogue of drawings and prints compiled by Basan (1723-97), one of the leading experts of the mid-18th century. Divided by vacation, the catalogue concisely describes 199 group lots, some quite large. Each section concludes with a portefeuille.

Very good copy. Engraved bookplate of G[eorges] P[annier] (1853-1944), the Parisian art dealer and collector, and stamp of the Bibliothèque Heim on verso of title. Contemporary manuscript correction on p.... More

96 pp. Small 8vo, attractive antique calf-backed paste paper boards, spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine.Paris: Bénard, 1816.

The rare sale catalogue of this impressive varied auction. Antoine François Piéri Bénard (fl. 1810-40), prominent art dealer and for a time marchand de la Bibliothèque du Roi, advised Eugène Dutuit on his art collecting. In the present catalogue, he thoroughly describes 504 lots. Pages 60-77, numbered separately, contain meticulously detailed and considerable group lots. These lots consist of the works of van Dyck, Hollar, Hondius, de Jode, Pontius (almost three full pages), and Vorsterman. Lots 418-75 details a selection... More

1 p.l., xiii, [1], 40 pp. 8vo (200 x 128 mm.), cont. blue paper wrappers, stitched as issued & strengthened with clear tape. Paris: Delaplace-Gérardin & Regnault-Delalande, 1822.

The very scarce sale catalogue detailing the sizable and choice collection of a celebrated engraver. Bervic (1756-1822), best known for his skillful works after Callet, J. B. Regnault, Guido Reni, and Raphael, studied under Le Prince, as well as Wille, who considered him one of his most promising students. A clerical error is the reason for being given the name Balvay, instead of, correctly, Bervic. “Bervic was greatly respected and honoured in... More

24 pp. 8vo (198 x 125 mm.), modern aubergine cloth, title on upper cover. Paris: Félix & Regnault-Delalande, 1819.

A very scarce auction catalogue marking the dissolution of Pierre Blaizot’s inventory; WorldCat records no copy in North America. Despite the lengthy interval between his death and this sale, we can identify the seller as Pierre Blaizot (1740-1808) due to the offerings in the present catalogue — prints, maps, and luxury paper — that match the description of his business on the BnF Data site. Blaizot’s page on the site notes that he was orphaned at age 9, but managed to... More

99 pp. 8vo, attractive antique calf-backed paste-paper boards, spine gilt, red morocco lettering-piece on spine. Paris: Joullain, 1778.

The uncommon sale catalogue, fully priced throughout, of a noteworthy collection, devoted primarily to Italian art and sculpture. Bourlat de Montredon (?-1777), was an influential amateur and collector who resided in Constantinople for forty years.

The catalogue thoroughly describes 695 lots, many of which are composed of numerous items. Lots 579-671 are Bourlat de Montredon’s impressive group of books of prints, mostly focused on the architecture and decorative arts of Italy, including a number of works by Piranesi. The descriptions offer occasional... More

1 p.l., ii, 20 pp. 8vo (190 x 125 mm.), orig. printed wrappers bound in early 20th-cent. cloth-backed marbled boards, spine gilt. Paris: Chariot & Ch. Paillet, 1817.

A very scarce sale catalogue, fully priced and with a number of buyers’ names in a contemporary hand, apparently offering the fruits of this collector or dealer’s travels in the Netherlands. The title-page of the British Library copy bears an inscription that identifies the consigner as “Barbier, Md. de Tableaux,” but we cannot be certain whether this is the provenance for the entirety of the sale. This sale’s expert, Charles Paillet, notes... More

15, [1] p. 8vo (189 x 125 mm.), 19th-cent. red cloth (signed “Pierson”), title on spine. Paris: Lottin & Musier, 1762.

A rare and early art auction catalogue, fully priced in a contemporary hand, and bound by Pierson in the red percaline preferred by the Goncourt brothers. Chauvelin, marquis de Grosbois (1685-1762) and Louis XV’s secretary of foreign affairs, was exiled due to the machinations of his rival Cardinal Fleury in 1737 and spent his final years in Paris. He was one of the earliest clients of Watteau.

81 lots, with paintings attributed to or after Raphael, Giorgione, Guido Reni... More

48 pp. 8vo (215 x 140 mm.), cont. blue wrappers bound in 20th-cent. cloth-backed marbled boards, title on spine. Paris: Constantin & Henry, 1814.

A scarce auction catalogue jointly compiled by Constantin (1755-1816) and Henry (1766-1836). The announced owner, l’Espinasse de Langeac (d. 1814), was a minor dealer whose stock had constituted large portions of anonymous sales in 1808 and 1809. This is the final dispersal linked to him.

This catalogue contains 333 lots of paintings, drawings, prints, decorative arts, sculpture, and furniture. Among the varied array of pictures (lots 1-267), we find the work of Weenix, A. Bega, A.... More