MARILLIER (Clément-Pierre). - Lot 50

MARILLIER (Clément-Pierre). [Suite de dessins et gravures de Marillier pour les œuvres de l'abbé Prévost]. S.l., [1783-1784]. - In-8, 230 x 182. Dark blue half-maroquin with corners, gilt filleting, ornate ribbed spine, gilt head, untrimmed (Lafon). Precious collection bringing together the portrait of Abbé Prévost, engraved by Étienne Ficquet after F. Schmidt, as well as the 78 engravings after Clément-Pierre Marillier (1740-1808), created for the edition of Œuvres choisies de Prévost published in Paris and Amsterdam between 1783 and 1784. Exceptionally enriched with 55 original ink sketches, preparatory to 55 of the book's engravings. Almost every drawing is accompanied by a caption written in the artist's own hand. These sketches were obviously intended for the engravers, as evidenced by the precise marginal notes left by Marillier in the margins of some of them: On a drawing for Clarisse Harlowe ("letter 95"): "Il faut rapprocher les deux groupes" ("The two groups must be brought together"). On another for Grandisson ("letter 9ème"): "Lever la pendule", etc. These annotations have been faithfully respected, as evidenced by the modifications visible on the final engravings, thus underlining the documentary importance and rarity of this set. All engravings, preserved at wide margins, as well as the 55 original drawings, have been mounted on tabs. The copy is further enriched by three pure etchings before the letter, added for L'Histoire de Robert Lade, Mémoires d'une jeune dame and Vie de Cicéron. Exemplaire provenant de la bibliothèque de l'avocat et bibliophile Alfred Piet (1829-1901) membre de la Société des Amis des livres dont il était l'archiviste-trésorier de 1880 à 1889. It was later acquired by Rudolf Von Gutmann (1880-1966), Austrian entrepreneur, banker and major collector of art and books. Some wear to spine and board edges, one corner slightly dulled. Provenance: Alfred Piet, with his bookplate in red engraved by Eugène Gaujean (1850-1900) (Catalogue de dessins anciens principalement de vignettes et portraits... composant la collection de feu M. Alfred Piet..., III, 1902, lot 67). - Rudolf Von Gutmann, with his armorial bookplate bearing the motto "Semper progrediens".