Many illus. in the text. 67, [1] p. 8vo, semi-stiff pictorial wrappers. Toronto: [1987].

[bound with]:

—. Artists 1/2“ Videotape Series. Many illus. in the text. 15 pp. 8vo. Toronto: [1987]. More

71 pp. 8vo, 19th-cent. paste-paper boards (corners a little worn), blue morocco lettering-piece on spine. Paris: Paillet & Hugues, 1786.

A rare sale catalogue, with most prices and buyers’ names written in a contemporary hand. Aubert (1736-85), jeweler to the Crown and a favorite of Marie Antoinette, as well as the Comtesse du Barry before, blended his craft with occasional forays into art dealing; however, his avid collecting took precedence. In the preface, Paillet (1743-1814), the expert for this sale, praises Aubert’s taste for Dutch and French pictures along with his impressive natural history cabinet.

This catalogue describes 293 lots: 79 lots of paintings (by Panini, J. Breughel, Rubens, van Dyck, Jordaens, Teniers, Wouwerman, Rembrandt, Metsu, Berghem, Netscher, van Ostade, A. Brouwer, P. Potter, Bourdon, Largillière, F. Boucher, Chardin, Greuze, Fragonard, Anne Valayer-Coster, etc.); 28 lots of drawings (by Bouchardon, Watteau, Lagrenée, etc.); 26 enamel miniatures; 38 lots of prints; 22 lots of sculptures; 38 lots from Aubert’s natural history cabinet; and 46 miscellaneous lots including vases with artificial flowers, bird-cages, rubies, cases of butterflies, etc. 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

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 and with buyers’ names, of a noteworthy collection devoted primarily to Italian art and sculpture. Bourlat de Montredon (d. 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... More

Folding engraved frontis. & five engraved plates. 2 p.l., 2, 32 pp., [2], 33-103. 8vo, cont. half-sheep & marbled boards (rejointed & extremities rubbed), spine gilt. Edinburgh: Printed by J. Hutchison, [1833].

A famous sale with fatal results; it is clear that this copy survived the collapse of the floor on which the sale was held. John Clerk, Lord Eldin (1757–1832), was one of the leading Scottish lawyers of his time; “he acquired so extensive a practice that, it is said, at one period of his career he had nearly half the business of the court in his hands. As a pleader he was remarkable, both for... More

1 p.l., 19, [2] pp. Small 8vo, attractive modern paste-paper wrappers. Paris: P. Prault & J. Barrois, 1749.

104 lots, priced and with many buyers’ names in a contemporary hand. The sale was managed by the great connoisseur Gersaint (d. 1750); he was the leading auctioneer of the time in Paris of art objects and natural history specimens. Gersaint was not only an auctioneer with an exceptional ability to immediately and accurately evaluate paintings, prints, and natural history objects but was also an exceptional scholar.

Fine copy. More

3 p.l., [41]-120 pp. (lacking pp. 1-40). 8vo, 19th-century blue pebbled cloth-backed marbled boards (spine a little worn), spine gilt. [Rotterdam: Burgvliet & Bothal, 1788].

A very rare sale catalogue, annotated in a contemporary hand with buyers’ names, that provides valuable insight into the growing French interest for 17th and 18th century Dutch art and the primary dealers and runners who acted as agents for the voracious collectors of France. The sections of books (303 lots) and coins were not bound in this copy, but the art portion of 863 lots is complete.

The contemporary annotations in this copy reveal the names of Dutch dealers and collectors of the day, such as van Dongen, Cremer, Heybroek (likely the son of the consigner), van der Laan, van der Pals, Robbens, Burgvliet, Bothal, etc. Another name which frequently appears is that of Jan (or Jean) Yver (1747-1814), an important art dealer in Amsterdam. With his father, Pierre (or Pieter), who died in 1787, they were two of the earliest Dutch dealers to develop an international clientele, which included Louis XVI, Joshua Reynolds, and Stanislaw Poniatowski, King of Poland, as well as many other members of the European upper class. This sale also came at a time when, thanks to the efforts of the famous dealers Jean Baptiste Pierre Lebrun and Edmé Gersaint before him, the French had developed an almost extreme passion for Northern painting. French dealers, several of whom are named here, exploited this opportunity by purchasing directly at Dutch auctions and then importing them to France. More

Finely engraved frontis. xx, 316 pp. Small 8vo, cont. mottled calf (expertly rebacked), spine gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. Paris: Vente, 1767.

[bound with as usual]:

(—). Catalogue raisonné de Porcelaines, tant anciennes, premiere forte, qu’ancien Japon & la Chine: d’Effets précieux d’anciens Lacqs, riches Meubles de Boule, & Bijoux, faisant partie du Cabinet de feu… Par C.F, Julliot, Marchand… 80 pp., one leaf of approbation. [Paris: Didot, 1767]. More

36 pp. 8vo, attractive antique marbled boards, paper label on spine. Paris: Olivier & Lebrun, 1811.

The uncommon sale catalogue, fully priced and with nearly all buyers’ names in a contemporary hand, of the art collection a celebrated portraitist and former pupil of Jacques Louis David. Laneuville (1748-1826), foremost a painter who exhibited at a number of Salons, also worked as an art dealer and expert. His painting style imitated considerably that of his master, and his subjects were often politicians. He maneuvered deftly during the Revolution and secured the patronage of leading revolutionaries, including several deputies of the Convention. Laneuville’s luck persisted... More

Finely engraved frontis. with profile of Le Bas (drawn by Cochin & engraved by C.E. Gaucher) & finely engraved tailpiece at the end of the biographical sketch (by same). xlix, 92, 19 pp. catalogue list. 8vo, orig. semi-stiff boards (head of spine a little split), leaves uncut. Paris: Clousier & Joullain, 1783.

The very rare sale catalogue of the engraver to the Cabinet du Roi; with a valuable list of 133 catalogues produced by Joullain since 1763. Le Bas (1707-83), studied under Antoine Hérisset and is famous for his skilled imitations of works by Teniers, Wouwerman, Falens, Coypel, Watteau, Oudry, etc.

This catalogue begins with a lengthy and most informative biographical sketch based on notes by Hecquet, a connoisseur of prints and close friend of Le Bas. It discusses contemporary debates on the artistic merit of engraving and Le Bas’ reputation in the art world, providing an intimate understanding of the man. More

10 (of 12 pp., lacking title) & two leaves of cont. manuscript annotations. 8vo, 19th-cent. semi-stiff marbled boards (spine rubbed), spine gilt. [Paris: A. Jombert, 1758].

A very rare sale catalogue, priced throughout and with many buyers’ names in a contemporary hand on the interleavings, as well as prices for items “sans numéro” not included in the printed catalogue. Le Lorrain (1715-59), painter, influential furniture designer, and architect, spent his formative years in Rome, where he developed an early Neo-classical architectural style, derived from Piranesi. In 1747, Le Lorrain returned to Paris and secured the patronage of the comte de Caylus. The Russian empress... More

viii, 268 pp. 8vo, early 19th-cent. marbled boards (spine defective). Amsterdam: P. Yver, [1785].

The extremely rare French edition (there was an edition in Dutch the same year) of this catalogue of an impressive sale. A contemporary annotator has supplemented it with prices, buyers’ names, and commentary on the artworks, almost all dismissive, in the margins. Van Slingelandt (1701-82), a great patron of the arts who lived in Dordrecht, amassed one of the most notable Dutch painting collections of the 18th century. This heavily annotated volume is the first and most important part of the sale, describing 701(!) paintings along with eight... More