Fessard, Étienne

LA FONTAINE, Jean de Fables choisies, mises en vers [...]. New edition engraved in intaglio. Les figures par le Sr. Fessard, le texte par le Sr. Montulay [...]. Paris chez l'auteur 1765-1775 6 vols. in-8° : engraved title-front-lxxi-[1 bl.]-100, vi-102, iv-95, [4]-134, [4]-103, [4]-115 pp. (qqs pp. and/or pl. ± browned in each vol., qqs russ, plus nombr. on pp. 85-86 of vol. II, many small tears, most restored, not least to gr. title of vol. I, large reinforced tear on p. xv of same vol., small tear with loss on p. lxvi in vol. I, wet upper margin in 2nd half of vol. II, rare spotting in vol. IV). Contemporary marbled calf, boards framed in triple gilt fillet with small fleuron at corners, spines gilt decorated with flowers, gilt edges (slight rubbing). First printing of this deluxe edition, entirely engraved on fine laid paper and illustrated with 724 compositions: 6 illustrated titles, 1 frontispiece, 2 armorial headbands, 242 headbands, 247 hors-texte or full-page engravings and 226 culs-de-lampe engraved by Fessard after Loutherbourg, Houël, Desrais, Leprince, Caresme, Monnet, etc. Ref. Cohen 551 (mentions 723 figures). - Reynaud 281. - Tchemerzine-Scheler III:876. - Pereire], Notes d'un amateur, 107. - Rochambeau 101.