Longus

Les Pastorales de Longus ou Daphnis et Chloé Traduction de messire J. Amyot en son vivant évêque d'Auxerre et grand aumônier de France. Revue corrigée complétée de nouveau refaite en grande partie par Paul-Louis Courier vigneron membre de la Légion d'honneur ci-devant canonnier à cheval. Lithographies originales de P. Bonnard. First edition.

rif. 51-6792 — Paris: Ambroise Vollard 31 octobre 1902. 4to. 24.5 x 30cm. 10. 294 4pp.Original wraps in a contemporary half calf chemise with marbled boards in a matching slipcase repaired. One of 250 numbered copies.Francis Bouvet The Complete Graphic Work no. 75; Luc Monod Manuel. no. 7262; François Chapon Le Peintre et le livre pp. 67-68 -- The Artist & the Book 28 -- Rauch 22; OCLC Number / Unique Identifier:54167315.One of the most famous modern illustrated books – copy on hollande paper. Seduced by his first collaboration with Pierre Bonnard on Parallel by Verlaine 1900 Ambroise Vollard commissioned a second one from him these Pastorales. Where Parallel with its daring layout and the choice of printing the lithographs in pink had been disconcerting the layout of this second book is more classical the illustration being clearly separated from the text. However at the time of its publication it remained "shunned by bibliophiles who for a long time refused to see it as an appropriate illustration technique for luxury books because it was considered too commercial even vulgar" Limited edition. Vollard Petiet et l'estampe de maîtres pp. 44-45. .This judgment has largely been revised by their successors and the work is today considered one of the greatest successes of the illustrated book. Carteret Illustrés IV p. 242: a beautiful work highly sought after and highly rated. One of the greatest stars of modern books. ; « Like Bonnard’s earlier lithographs for Parallèlement and Manet’s for Le Corbeau these subtle plates had little appeal in 1902 for a public that preferred the sharply defined realism of the professional engraver.The book is today considered one of the finest of its period”. The Artist and the Book n°28 ; Mahé II col. 695 ; Mornand Vingt-deux artistes du livre pp. 45-46 “Daphnis et Chloé fut pour Bonnard l’occasion de montrer toute la souplesse de son talent non seulement par la pureté du style bien antique des personnages mais par le caractère des paysages essentiellement grecs”. Paris: Ambroise Vollard, 31 octobre 1902. paperback