1850 French First Illustrated Edition by the Pauquet brothers - Contes des Fees

Author: Charles Perrault. Illustrated by the Pauquet brothers.
Title: Les Contes des Fées.
Publisher: Paris, Amédée Bédelet, (no date), but circa 1850s. First Edition with Pauquet brothers' illustrations.
Language: Text in French.
Size: 9 x 6.5 inches.
Pages: 159 pages.
Binding: Attractive and good original decorative publisher’s hardcover binding in cream-colored boards, lavishly adorned with elaborate polychrome chromolithographed frame motifs on both front and rear covers, and with similar decorative spine (hinges cracked but still tight - as shown, overall worn and scuffed mainly on the outer corners - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. A rare find in any condition!
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing or staining - as shown). Tissue guards present and intact for the color plates.
Illustrations: Illustrated with 10 hand-colored steel engravings and a profusion of wood-engraved vignettes in black-and-white, all after the drawings of MM. Pauquet. The color plates are delicately rendered, with scenes from well-known tales such as Le Petit Chaperon-Rouge, La Barbe Bleue, and Cendrillon.

Estimate: (USD 500–700).

The book: A beautiful First Edition with Pauquet brothers' illustrations of Charles Perrault’s Les Contes des Fées, published by the renowned Parisian firm Amédée Bédelet. This deluxe production stands out for its ornate chromolithographic cover design and superb hand-colored engravings, a hallmark of mid-19th-century French gift books. The volume includes Perrault's most beloved fairy tales, from Sleeping Beauty to Puss in Boots, in a format designed to enchant both young readers and bibliophiles alike.

The author: Charles Perrault (1628–1703) is one of the founding figures of the fairy tale genre. A member of the Académie française and a man of letters under Louis XIV, he immortalized traditional folk tales in elegant prose that set the foundation for later adaptations by the Brothers Grimm and others. Contes de ma mère l’Oye (Tales of Mother Goose) was his most famous contribution to children's literature, securing his place in literary history.

The illustrators: The Pauquet brothers—Hippolyte and Polydore Pauquet—were acclaimed 19th-century illustrators known for their finely detailed and expressive engravings. Trained in the classical tradition and active in Paris, their work graced numerous scientific, historical, and literary volumes. In this edition, their illustrations bring charm and period richness to Perrault’s timeless tales, combining grace, humor, and dramatic flair in equal measure.