SIEURIN (J.). A Handbook for the Art Lover. - Lot 278

SIEURIN (J.). A Handbook for the Art Lover. Engravings and Portraits for the Decoration of French and Foreign Books. Paris, Adolphe Labitte, bookseller to the National Library, 1875. In-8. Publisher’s binding in bottle-green half-maroquin, smooth spine decorated with gilt fillets and gilt title. A work that has become a classic in the field of illustrated bibliophilia, devoted to engravings, portraits, and iconographic series intended to enrich French and foreign books. In this scholarly handbook, J. Sieurin catalogs and describes the principal prints, portraits of authors, frontispieces, and illustrations likely to accompany the editions sought after by enthusiasts and collectors. A true practical guide for the 19th-century bibliophile, the work provides valuable information on portraits, engraved series, pre-letter proofs, print states, and iconographic supplements that can be paired with literary or historical works. It bears witness to the rise of illustrated bibliophilia at a time when the search for enriched copies and collections of engravings was experiencing considerable growth. The author devotes detailed entries to numerous French and foreign writers, noting the portraits, vignettes, and illustrations available for their works, making this volume an invaluable reference tool for the history of the illustrated book. A copy in its original publisher’s binding of bottle-green half-maroquin. The binding is scuffed with wear on the headbands, joints, and corners; the spine is slightly faded. The interior is fresh and well-preserved. The bookplate is intact. A reference work on the history of bibliophilia and book illustration in the 19th century, sought after by collectors of engravings, literary portraits, and illustrated books.