129 - LESAGE (Alain-René). The Story of Gil Blas de Santillane. Illustrations by Jean Gigoux. Paris: Paulin, 1835. Large 8vo, red long-grain morocco, a thick gilt fillet, wide gilt border formed by a double set of three gilt lines. straight and curved lines intersecting on the covers, spine decorated lengthwise, inner border adorned with six gold fillets, cream moiré paper endpapers and linings, gilt edges (Capé).

LESAGE (Alain-René). The Story of Gil Blas de Santillane. Illustrations by Jean Gigoux. Paris: Paulin, 1835. Large 8vo, red long-grain morocco, a thick gilt fillet, wide gilt border formed by a double set of three gilt lines. straight and curved lines intersecting on the covers, spine decorated lengthwise, inner border adorned with six gold fillets, cream moiré paper endpapers and linings, gilt edges (Capé). FIRST PRINTING of this famous edition illustrated by Jean Gigoux, which marks the revival of woodcut engraving during the Romantic era, featuring a portrait of Gil Blas, a frontispiece, and some 600 vertical woodcut vignettes. COPY IN A VERY ELEGANT BINDING, STRICTLY PERIOD, SIGNED BY CAPE. Ramsden, in his work *French Bookbinders*, notes the silence of biographers regarding this bookbinder’s early works; he cites various volumes bound around 1828 (*Ismalie d’Arlincourt*) and around 1837 (works by Béranger) and adds that the bindings from this period are the finest