12 - [ARCACHON]. Sketchbook by an artist from the Southwest—1839 / 1842.

[ARCACHON]. Sketchbook by an artist from the Southwest—1839 / 1842. An interesting, rare, and moving sketchbook that once belonged to a certain Mr. Soyer. Oblong 8vo, long-grained havana morocco, spine with raised bands accented by gold fillets and highlighted with gold garlands, compartments adorned with gilt metalwork, frames of gilt fillets and a frieze of water leaves cold-stamped, gilt edges. 47 ff. (140 x 215 mm), 29 drawings or studies, various techniques including graphite and ink. Scuffs, worn corners. This unique sketchbook, which belonged to a certain Mr. Soyer, contains various drawings, some humorous—such as a donkey based on a Grandville illustration from La Fontaine’s fables, or a cat catching a mouse—but also views such as the Château de Pau, strikingly realistic seashells, and even a young Basque fisherman, oar on his shoulder, exclaiming, “She’s waiting for me!” Also featured is a rare and beautiful view of the Arcachon Basin—more specifically, the Tindel Hotel and Baths (later Gailhard, now demolished)—drawn in graphite from an illustration by Count André de Bonneval (1769–1844) and published in his work *Tableau Pittoresque et Agricole des Landes du Bassin d’Arcachon* (Paris: Imprimerie de Bourgogne et Martinet, 1839), which would be rendered in painting a few years later by William Bouguereau. Two other drawings are taken from this book, notably a panorama of the Atalaye (in the Basque Country) and an unfinished scene of a hound hunt. From the Jh. Delpech paper store in Bordeaux (label). A very beautiful sketchbook showing a certain degree of mastery.