Abraham BOSSE : La Galerie du Palais - c. 1638

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Price: € 5500

[The Shop at the Palais de Justice, Paris]

Etching, 255 x 325 mm. Blum 1065, 2nd state (of 2), Préaud 158, 2nd state (of 2), Lothe 271, 1st state (of 2).

Impression with the words Demeurant sur le pont N. Dame au Pelican etched before the name of le Blond le jeune. According to Blum and Préaud, in particular, this address was added in the 2nd state. More recently, José Lothe reversed the two states in his catalogue raisonné: ‘2nd state: Leblond's address has been removed, leaving only his name and a reference to his privilege’. Le Blond the younger is Roland Leblond, born in 1596 and died around 1651/1656.

Very fine impression printed on laid papier, trimmed to the platemark. In very fine condition, a tiny stain in the letter.

‘Gentlemen and ladies stroll past three shops in the galerie du libraire du Palais in Paris. The first, on the left, is that of Augustin Courbé; with his wife, he presents a gentleman with Tristan l'Hermite's play, the title of which reads: LA/MARIANE/COMEDIE; on the shelves are books arranged by format. Two panels above show the titles available: VESALLY. POSTURES DARETIN. WORKS BY GODEAU. BOCCACE. [...] The adjoining shop is that of a fashion merchant with masks, gloves, ribbons, fans and muffs. A gentleman and three ladies are looking at a fan, and the shopkeeper takes out a box with the words Eventails de Bosse written on it. The third shop, past which a gentleman and his lady pass, sells all sorts of lace and is run by the merchant and his wife.’ (Lothe p. 267).

Maxime Préaud points out that Abraham Bosse makes discreet allusions to his works on several occasions. In the reference to Eventails de Bosse, of course, which recalls Bosse's publication of three fans in 1637 and 1638, but also in some of the titles of books for which he provided illustrations: La Mariane by Tristan l'Hermite, which the bookseller offered to her customer, was published in its original edition by Augustin Courbé in 1637 with a frontispiece engraved by Bosse.

References: Maxime Préaud, Sophie Join-Lambert (dir.): Abraham Bosse, savant graveur, Paris, 2004; José Lothe: L’œuvre gravé d’Abraham Bosse: graveur parisien du XVIIe siècle catalogue général, 2008.