1795 ❧ LA FONTAINE, JEAN DE. Contes et Nouvelles en Verse. Paris: Didot, 1795. 2 volumes 4to (275 x 210 mm). 8 plates printed before the letters and 57 wash etchings by Martial after the original drawings by Fragonard (16), and Monnet (4). Blue morocco with gilt fillet frames and fleurons in the corners, gilt spine, with silk turn ins, all edges gilt. Rear cover of volume 2 detached Provenance: Jean-Baptiste de La Borde (book label). Conceived by Didot but severely compromised by the Revolution and a resulting lack of support, this was supposed to be a deluxe edition containing eighty plates to be issued in ten numbers containing eight plates each and hopefully surpassing the Fermiers Generaux edition of 1762. The project was aborted, probably due to a variety of reasons; the Revolution that certainly diluted enthusiasm for elitist books of this pretension, Fragonard's inability the deliver the plates as promised, the engravers difficulties with coping with the delicacy of his designs, and (according to Ray), the obvious mismatch between the 21 plates engraved after Fragonard and those supplied by other artists like Monnet and Le Barbier. It's a convoluted history; see Ray #77 and the long piece by Edwin Wolf in the 1949 NYPL Bulletin. Beraldi sold the drawings to the government in 1934 prior to auction, they were given to the Louvre. Ray French 77; NYPL Bulletin 1949, article by Edwin Wolf. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing