Apr 07, 2011 - Sale 2242

Sale 2242 - Lot 13

Price Realized: $ 3,840
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 3,000 - $ 5,000
(MARIUS MICHEL.) L'Art Hebdomadaire Illustrée. Cinquième Année, Tome III (Tome XVIII de la Collection). Elaborate historiated and decorative initials, head- and tailpieces, 67 engraved plates (28 of which are printed on special paper and mounted), 24 full-page illustrations, numerous text illustrations and decorative borders. Thick large folio, elaborate binding by marius michel of inlaid morocco with all-over design of entwined floral sprays incorporating morocco inlays in eight colors, the front cover with "l'Art" inlaid in a scroll wrapping around a foliated branch and budding stem; brocaded endleaves also in a floral pattern, marbled flyleaves, all edges trimmed and gilt; plate mounts somewhat wrinkled, contents clean overall. Paris: Librairie de l'Art, 1879
Set Alert for Similar Items

Additional Details

a particularly beautiful binding by the eminent and historically important binder henri marius michel. During the first two decades after founding the bindery in 1849, his father, Jean Marius Michel, focused on historical style. As Henri became more involved in the craft, he came to believe that a new vocabulary of ornamentation better expressed the spirit of contemporary authors. Through his skill and artistry, he led the way in French bookbinding for several decades in bindings like this, using harmonious colors and plant motifs that were popular in Art Nouveau. See Duncan & De Bartha, page 75.