Lortic

1646 · rif. ST20750 — Leyden: Chez les Elseviers 1646. First Elzevier Edition. 135 x 75 mm. 5 1/4 x 3". 12 p.l. including engraved title 663 9 pp. ELEGANT DARK BLUE MOROCCO BY LORTIC stamp-signed on front doublure BEAUTIFULLY GILT-TOOLED IN THE STYLE OF THE 17TH-CENTURY BINDER KNOWN AS "LE GASCON" covers with graceful lobed French fillet frame intricately lacy gilt at corners delicately tooled lozenge at center raised bands spine densely gilt in compartments with complex mandorla centerpieces curling tendrils at corners and myriad small tools gilt lettering RED MOROCCO DOUBLURES with very fine lace gilt frame leather hinges marbled endpapers and flyleaves all edges gilt. Engraved title and engraved arms. Verso of front free endpaper with engraved bookplate of Emmanuel Martin see below. Willems 601; Rahir 599; STCN 832762849; USTC 1027902. Half-inch crack to head of front joint minor wear to head of spine corners a little rubbed isolated faint foxing otherwise a fine and pretty copy clean and fresh internally and in a lustrous binding. With striking gilt elaboration inside and out this is a beautifully bound and delightful Elzevier edition of Charron's celebrated work "On Wisdom" first printed in 1604. Inspired by the letters of Seneca and Stoic in spirit the work gives a meticulous and reasoned argument for living an austere virtuous and purposeful life in harmony with nature. But Charron's rationalism combined here with a lack of interest in revelation as a source of truth made his work suspect to the theological authorities of his day and he was accused of portraying religion as unnecessary for morality. His attempt to revise the work to satisfy his critics was interrupted by his death. A lawyer before he became a theologian and preacher Charron 1541-1603 desired at age 45 to join a monastic community but was rejected for being too old. Our volume was lavishly bound by Pierre Marcellin Lortic 1822-92 who apprenticed with the Gruel bindery before opening his own workshop in 1844. Over the next 40 years he won numerous awards became a preeminent Parisian binder and was named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. Beraldi says of Lortic: "For the decoration of a binding Lortic with real passion conceived the bound book as a jewel: he loved the rich the sumptuous the flamboyant." Beraldi put Lortic in the first rank of gilders even though Pierre did not do the gilding with his own hand. Instead he employed the best doreurs available including Wampflugh Maillard and Domont before his talented son and eventual successor Marcellin took over those responsibilities in the 1870s. Our binding was likely commissioned by the previous owner the formidable French bibliophile Emmanuel Martin 1821-82 whose library was sold in 1877. Our volume is lot #64 in the auction catalogue "Collection de M. Emm. Martin: Livres Rares et Précieux Anciens et Modernes" selling according to a manuscript indication in the margin for 161 francs a very substantial sum representing modern buying power of about $3000. The catalogue description says it is a "charming example" of the rarest Elzevier edition of this work and gives special praise for the "perfectly executed" binding rendered "with the most remarkable finesse" in the style of Le Gascon an artisan active in Paris in the first half of the 17th century and revered as perhaps the outstanding gilder of his day. This is a very great compliment to Lortic and it is not surprising that as the auction catalogue states the present example of his work was featured in the Museum of Ornamental Arts as part of the Art Treasures Exhibition held in Manchester in 1857. Chez les Elseviers unknown