RABELAIS — Pantagruel — Original lithographs by Schem — Édit - Lot 238

RABELAIS — Pantagruel — Original lithographs by Schem — Éditions du Manoir, 1946 RABELAIS (François). Pantagruel. Original lithographs by Schem [Raoul Serres]. Philological marginal notes by Louis Perceau. Dijon, Éditions du Manoir, Henri Pasquinelly, 1946. 2 large quarto volumes, paperback with padded covers printed in black and red, continuous pagination, 537 pp. A particularly lavishly illustrated edition, featuring numerous original lithographs by Schem (the pseudonym of Raoul Serres), both within the text and as inserts, some of which are full-page or spread across two pages. The complete set includes 62 large lithographic plates as inserts, in addition to numerous illustrations within the text. Limited edition of 1,000 copies on vellum, constituting the first edition of this illustrated work, plus a few contributor’s copies numbered in Roman numerals. Copy: No. 413 / 1,000. The second volume was completed on December 6, 1946, with the out-of-text lithographs printed by Edmond and Jacques Desjobert in Paris. An interesting feature: this copy retains the publisher’s promotional insert dated January 1, 1947, announcing the publication of the second volume and detailing the illustrations: 62 large plates, 11 headpieces, 75 different initials, and 71 footpieces. Condition: interior generally good, with wide margins and well-preserved lithographs. A few isolated foxing spots or stains are visible. However, the covers show fairly significant damage: soiling, wear, and tears, particularly on the spine and the back cover; there is a noticeable loss of paper at the bottom of one cover. Nevertheless, the book as a whole remains very presentable on the inside.