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Extremely rare, richly illustrated dance of death

[DANCE OF DEATH].
La grande danse macabre des hommes et des femmes, historiée & renouvellée de vieux Gaulois, en langage le  plus poli de notre temps. Avec: le débat du corps & de l'ame.  La complainte de l'ame damnée. L'exhortation de bien vivre & de bien mourir. La vie du mauvais Antechrist. Les quinze signes du jugement.

With 60 mostly large half-page woodcuts of the Dance of Death of men and women of all ranks and profession, including a large allegorical woodcut on title, repeated at the end, a large woodcut of a dead man rising from his grave on verso title, also repeated at the end, 2 woodcuts of heralds blowing their trumpets, one repeated, an almost full-page woodcut of the author at the head of the women's Dance of Death, and 4 small oblong woodcuts of women in their  coffins, the Last Judgement, etc., at the end.

With 60 mostly large half-page woodcuts of the Dance of Death of men and women of all ranks and profession, including a large allegorical woodcut on title, repeated at the end, a large woodcut of a dead man rising from his grave on verso title, also repeated at the end, 2 woodcuts of heralds blowing their trumpets, one repeated, an almost full-page woodcut of the author at the head of the women's Dance of Death, and 4 small oblong woodcuts of women in their  coffins, the Last Judgement, etc., at the end.

With 60 mostly large half-page woodcuts of the Dance of Death of men and women of all ranks and profession, including a large allegorical woodcut on title, repeated at the end, a large woodcut of a dead man rising from his grave on verso title, also repeated at the end, 2 woodcuts of heralds blowing their trumpets, one repeated, an almost full-page woodcut of the author at the head of the women's Dance of Death, and 4 small oblong woodcuts of women in their  coffins, the Last Judgement, etc., at the end.

With 60 mostly large half-page woodcuts of the Dance of Death of men and women of all ranks and profession, including a large allegorical woodcut on title, repeated at the end, a large woodcut of a dead man rising from his grave on verso title, also repeated at the end, 2 woodcuts of heralds blowing their trumpets, one repeated, an almost full-page woodcut of the author at the head of the women's Dance of Death, and 4 small oblong woodcuts of women in their  coffins, the Last Judgement, etc., at the end.

With 60 mostly large half-page woodcuts of the Dance of Death of men and women of all ranks and profession, including a large allegorical woodcut on title, repeated at the end, a large woodcut of a dead man rising from his grave on verso title, also repeated at the end, 2 woodcuts of heralds blowing their trumpets, one repeated, an almost full-page woodcut of the author at the head of the women's Dance of Death, and 4 small oblong woodcuts of women in their  coffins, the Last Judgement, etc., at the end.



Troyes, Jean-Antoine Garnier, (1728). 4to. 19th century half cloth, spine gilt. With 60 mostly large half-page woodcuts of the Dance of Death of men and women of all ranks and profession, including a large allegorical woodcut on title, repeated at the end, a large woodcut of a dead man rising from his grave on verso title, also repeated at the end, 2 woodcuts of heralds blowing their trumpets, one repeated, an almost full-page woodcut of the author at the head of the women's Dance of Death, and 4 small oblong woodcuts of women in their  coffins, the Last Judgement, etc., at the end. 76 pp. in 2 columns.

Extremely rare French chapbook edition, sold by peddlers and at fairs, of one of the most popular educational picture books in Europe since the Middle Ages. Here two Dances of Death are depicted, first the Dance of Death of men of all ranks and professions, and after that the Dance of Death of women of various ranks and stations in life. These Dances of Death were meant to remind people that everybody was mortal however powerful in life, and to warn people to be prepared to die at all moments.
The present 'Grande Danse Macabre' starts with the author addressing his readers, followed by the male Dance of Death, depicting the Dances of Death of the pope, emperor, cardinal, king, patriarch, duke, archbishop, knight, bishop, shield-bearer, abbot, bailiff, etc., so each time a religious person alternating with a wordly person, and each person is discussed as well in the verses underneath. At the end two woodcuts of heralds with a woodcut inbetween showing the damned in hell, and an old popular poem about the three dead and the three living are added.
The following series depicting the Dance of Death of women is first announced by another woodcut herald and then by the author, who is shown in a large woodcut standing in a garden holding plants and flowers and including several symbolic devices. The women's series mainly consists of wordly figures like queen, duchess, wife of a knight, wife of a shield-bearer, shepherdess, bourgeois woman, newly wed woman, virgin, pregnant woman, chamber maid, witch, etc., but also includes an abbess. At the end several other popular poems  relating to death are added.
The chapbook is discussed at length by Nisard, with many reproductions of the woodcuts and comparison of texts. It is to be dated by the 'Extrait de la permission du Roi', which is found at the end, signed by Coignard, and dated at Paris, May 21, 1728.

Fine copy of a very rare chapbook Dance of Death.
Oberlé, La Bibl. Bleue, 1; Nisard II, p. 284: "Le plus beau des livres de la Bibliothèque Bleue".

Related Subjects: Chapbooks  Dances of Death  French 

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€ 5.000,00

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