1860 Rare French Victorian Book - Fables de Jean de La Fontaine Illustrated
(description)
Author : Jean de La Fontaine
Title : Fables de J. De La Fontaine Illustrées d'un Cent et Vingt Gravures. Par J. Desandre et W. H. Freeman Avec des notes et une préface par Décembre-Alonnier.
Language : Text in French
Publisher : Londres: George Routledge et Fils (circa 1860's - A school prize label to the reverse of the front cover - from Morison's Academy, Crieff dated 1869).
Size : 7 " X 5 "
Pages : 432 pages.
Binding : Very good decorated full cloth binding (hinges fine) under a removable protective mylar cover .
Content : Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare foxing and staining).
Illustrations : Including 120 illustrations by J. Desandre and W. H. Freeman.
The book : Rare and attractive French 19th century edition of Jean de La Fontaine Fables.
The author : Jean de La Fontaine (8 July 1621 – 13 April 1695) was a French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. He is known above all for his Fables, which provided a model for subsequent fabulists across Europe and numerous alternative versions in France, and in French regional languages.
After a long period of royal suspicion, he was admitted to the French Academy and his reputation in France has never faded since. Evidence of this is found in the many pictures and statues of the writer, as well as later depictions on medals, coins and postage stamps.