Thorvaldsen Sa Vie Et Son Oeuvre Par Eugène Plon Ouvrage Enrichi De Deux Gravures Au Burin Par F. Gaillard Ancien Pensionnaire De L'Académie De France A Rome Et De Trente-Cinq Compositions Du Maitre Gravées Sur Bois Par Carbonneau D'Après Les Dessins De F. Gaillard
Although the title page calls for two engravings 'Au Burin' and thirty-five wood-engravings, there are in fact thirty-seven wood-engravings - which are listed in the 'Tables Des Gravures', appear as in-text illustrations and also as a portfolio of artist's proofs.
Contents
[Half-title, frontis., t.p., prefatory note] - Première Partie. Vie De Thorvaldsen - Seconde Partie. Œuvre De Thorvaldsen - Catalogue De L'Œuvre De Thorvaldsen - Appendices (incl. Index Bibliographique) - Table [contents] - Table Des Gravures - [Plate] - [Sectional title:] Gravures Sur Bois Publiées Sur Les Dessins De F. Gaillard Dans L'Ouvrage Thorvaldsen Sa Vie Et Son Oeuvre Par Eugene Plon - Épreuves D'Artiste ... - [Plates].
Responsibility Note
The two engravings 'Au Burin' are signed as engraved by F. Gaillard. The former carries the imprint of the printer Ch. Chardon aîné; the second that of the publisher H. Plon.
The thirty-seven artist's proofs of wood-engravings by Carbonneau after Gaillard are almost all signed 'FG', and some by 'Carbonneau' also. These thirty-seven images are also printed as in-text illustrations.
References
B. Jørnæs, Billedhuggeren Bertel Thorvaldsens liv og værk (1993); E. Lerberg, Fire danske klassikere: Nicolai Abildgaard, Jens Juel, Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg og Bertel Thorvaldsen [exhibition catalogue] (1992); R.W. Zeitler, Klassizismus und Utopia: Interpretationen zu Werken von David, Canova, Carstens, Thorvaldsen, Koch (1954); R.W. Buchanan, Thorvaldsen and his English critics (1865?).
Summary Note
The plates show sculptures, chiefly of Greek mythological subjects (Venus, Mercury etc.) but with some allegories (Esperance, La Nuit etc.), two Judeo-Christian subjects (Rebecca et Eliézer; Le Christ) and one portrait (La Princesse Baryatinska).
This edition includes at the end a portfolio of artist's proofs of the thirty-seven wood-engraving illustrations, which has its own sectional title-page, which reads, 'Gravures Sur Bois Publiées Sur Les Dessins De F. Gaillard Dans L'Ouvrage Thorvaldsen Sa Vie Et Son Œuvre Par Eugène Plon - Épreuves D'Artiste Tirées Sur Les Bois avant l'impression du volume No. 151 Il n'a été tiré que 200 épreuves d'artiste de chaque gravure. Elles font partie des exemplaires de choix qui renferment les épreuves avant la lettre des deux planches en taille-douce.'
An English translation, Thorvaldsen: his life and works, was published in 1874.
Provenance
Purchased for RA Library in 1871 (see RA Annual Report, p. 29).
Binding Note
19th-century half green morocco, green paper-covered boards; spine lettered 'Thorvaldsen Plon', 'R.A.' and 'Paris 1867'.
Artists - Sculptors - Sculpture - Italy - Rome - History - 18th century - 19th century - Neoclassicism
Mythology, Greek - Iconography
Biography - Art history - Art criticism - Catalogues - France - 19th century
Pictorial works - France - 19th century