Charles Baudelaire

Poèmes à l'eau forte, illustrated by Louis Legrand. Paris, Gustave Pellet, 1914. Small 4to. Unique impression numbered 62/80 copies on vellum wove paper watermarking with "Louis Legrand". Full morocco in the Janséniste style. Binding signed "CH. LANOÉ". Title and edges gilded. Black filet on the edges. Silk fly-leaves. Double marbled-paper endpapers. This sublime volume of poems comprises 33 poems by Charles Baudelaire (14), Stéphane Mallarmé, Paul Verlaine, Jean Richepin, Jean Lorrain, Tristan Corbière, Arthur Rimbaud, Théophile Gautier, Anna de Noailles, Gabriel Mourey, Gustave Kahn, Albert Samain, Marceline Desbordes-Valmore and Ernest Joubert. It is abundantly illustrated with 108 compositions by the painter and engraver Louis Legrand (1863-1951), including 30 original etchings and 78 wood engravings in the text. Louis Legrand (1863-1951) had studied with Félicien Rops in 1884. He is known for his aquatint engravings with a subtle eroticism tinged with the macabre. His style, his subjects (and two obscenity trials) make him an important representative of the decadence of the "Belle Époque". Binding in very good condition. It presents, however, light whitish veils and small stains on the boards (see photos). Slight snag at the head of the spine. Scuffing at the head and tail of the case. Interior very clean, rare, and pale foxing. Offsets from some engravings.

Estimate:£847.61

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