The Coronation of Louis XV, King of France and Navarre, in t - Lot 67

The Coronation of Louis XV, King of France and Navarre, in the Cathedral of Reims, on Sunday, October 25, 1722. No place, no date. Large folio, contemporary binding in midnight blue morocco leather, wide gold-threaded border framing the covers with the royal cipher in the corners and the coat of arms in the center, ribbed spine adorned with the royal cipher, interior lace trim, gilt edges (Padeloup the Younger, with his label). First edition of this magnificent volume intended to commemorate the coronation of the young King Louis XV, then aged twelve, on October 25, 1722. Entirely engraved and sumptuously illustrated, this work eclipses all previous works of its kind and remains, without a doubt, the finest French example of ceremonial books. It consists of: - a title-frontispiece and 32 engraved text leaves, all adorned with rich borders, nine of which are prefaced by large vignettes depicting allegorical scenes dedicated to the Queen; - nine magnificent double-page plates in in-plano format depicting the various moments of the ceremony, from the King’s Rising to the Royal Banquet; - thirty plates of costumes featuring the king and high dignitaries in ceremonial attire. At the end of the volume, a table on a double-leaf page and a list of the artists who contributed to the volume, including a host of engravers—notably Cochin the Elder and Larmessin—tasked with interpreting compositions largely created by the painter Pierre Dulin. The text was written by Academician Danchet. A very fine copy, originally bound in a sumptuous blue morocco binding bearing the coat of arms and cipher of Louis XV, adorned with the magnificent frame designed specifically for this work by Antoine-Michel Padeloup, whose label appears here at the bottom of the last leaf. It is impeccably preserved. A small, repaired tear in the upper white margin of four leaves. Slight water stain in the lower corner of a few others, without affecting the engraving. Acquired by Émile Rossignol in 1969.

Estimate:£8,522.35

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