FONTENAY (Charles de). Florilège des poèmes... - Lot 196 - Ader

FONTENAY (Charles de). Florilège des poèmes de Théophile de Viau précédé du Tombeau de Théophile par de Scudéry. Paris : La Belle Édition, [1914]. - In-4, 280 x 225 : (43 ff. 42nd blank), illustrated cover. Ivory parchment, boards decorated with a distinct floral decoration, chased, painted and lacquered, smooth spine, ivory parchment lining and endpapers, untrimmed, cover preserved, parchment-covered slipcase decorated on the first board with a chased, green painted and lacquered flower, number JE on the second board (André Mare) Beautiful edition at 351 copies, printed by François Bernouard in September 1914, "while the Allied Armies were winning the Victories of the Marne, Lemberg, Antwerp and Semlin". It is illustrated with a large composition on the cover, 18 small culs-de-lampe and 19 large banners, engraved on wood by the young artist and poet Charles de FONTENAY (1889-1916), promised to a great future but who died under the German bullets in January 1916, the year of his 27 years. Precious copy, one of 300 numbered on laid paper from the former Canson & Montgolfier factories, covered with a splendid period binding in parchment, decorated by André MARE (1885-1932), one of the fathers of Art Deco. Painter and decorator, he was, with Louis Süe, the founder of the Compagnie des arts français. He generally did not sign his bindings but they are perfectly recognizable; they are always made of parchment or vellum with an original composition painted by the artist on one or both boards. André Mare's decorations are often very colourful and generally represent floral compositions, as is the case here. A very well preserved copy. The parchment of the slipcase is peeling off in places.