MAURRAS (Charles). *The Lovers of Venice*. George Sand and A - Lot 199

MAURRAS (Charles). *The Lovers of Venice*. George Sand and A. de Musset. Paris: Georges Crès et Cie, “Les Maîtres du Livre” series, 1924. In-8, paperback, printed embossed cover, 386 pp., untrimmed. Edition decorated with original woodcuts engraved by Constant Le Breton, including notably a beautiful two-tone frontispiece depicting Venice, as well as headpieces, ornaments, and tailpieces. The BnF confirms this 1924 Crès edition and attributes the woodcuts to Constant Le Breton. The colophon allows for precise identification here. The total print run is 1,972 copies: 62 copies on large Rives vellum; 60 copies on blue Rives vellum; 1,850 copies on vellum paper from the Manufactures de Rives, numbered 123 through 1,972. This copy bears the number 1,418 and the notation “Copy on Rives paper”; it therefore belongs to the print run of 1,850 copies on Rives vellum. This breakdown of the print run is also confirmed by copies documented on the market. The book was printed by Ch. Hérissey in Évreux on December 30, 1924. This copy is particularly attractive because it remains paperback in its original publisher’s cover with a filled spine, bearing the printed inscription “Papier de Rives.” The paper is well-preserved, and the interior appears clean and fresh. There is only slight discoloration/sun fading on the spine and the edge of the front cover, a few small marks and stains on the cover, and very slight signs of wear on the headbands. Overall, it remains in good to very good condition for a paperback copy from 1924.