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The Greek gods and goddesses explained

GENLIS, Mme de.
Arabesques mythologiques, ou les attributs de toutes les divinités de la fable ... Le texte contenant l'histoire des faux dieux, de leur culte, le détail des cérémonies religieuses, etc. précédé d'un discours sur la mythologie en général et particulièrement sur l'influence que dut avoir le paganisme sur le caractère, les moeurs et la littérature des anciens Grecs et des Romains. Ouvrage fait pour servir à l'éducation de la jeunesse.

With intricate and arabesque emblematic designs of the main attributes and symbols of all the Gods and Goddesses of the fable, all very refined and beautifully coloured by hand, on 78 full-page numbered plates, engraved by Gaitte after original designs by the author.

With intricate and arabesque emblematic designs of the main attributes and symbols of all the Gods and Goddesses of the fable, all very refined and beautifully coloured by hand, on 78 full-page numbered plates, engraved by Gaitte after original designs by the author.

With intricate and arabesque emblematic designs of the main attributes and symbols of all the Gods and Goddesses of the fable, all very refined and beautifully coloured by hand, on 78 full-page numbered plates, engraved by Gaitte after original designs by the author.

With intricate and arabesque emblematic designs of the main attributes and symbols of all the Gods and Goddesses of the fable, all very refined and beautifully coloured by hand, on 78 full-page numbered plates, engraved by Gaitte after original designs by the author.

With intricate and arabesque emblematic designs of the main attributes and symbols of all the Gods and Goddesses of the fable, all very refined and beautifully coloured by hand, on 78 full-page numbered plates, engraved by Gaitte after original designs by the author.



Paris, Charles Barrois, 1810-1811. 2 vols. 8vo. Contemporary red morocco, spines ribbed and richly gilt, sides with richly gilt dentelles, inner panel with gilt-stamped decoration in the 4 corners, gilt inner dentelles, with green silk endpapers, g.e. (BOZERIAN). With intricate and arabesque emblematic designs of the main attributes and symbols of all the Gods and Goddesses of the fable, all very refined and beautifully coloured by hand, on 78 full-page numbered plates, engraved by Gaitte after original designs by the author. (4), XXX, 266 (=166); (4), IV, 228, (4) pp.

Very rare first edition of one of the most curious educational works, by Stéphanie Félicité Ducrest de Saint Aubin, comtesse de Genlis (1746-1830). That the work was meant for youth is not only stated on title, but also emphasized in the preface of the first volume. Lessons for children, questions to be asked and exercises to give them were suggested. The names in the  symbols, which for the sake of symmetry are doubled, were admittedly difficult to read, but it would induce children to look carefully at them; the flowers were not chosen at random, but belonged to the Gods or Godesses treated.
The book was absolutely safe in children's hands, one is assured, much more so than the little dictionnaire of Chompré a.o., because the author had especially taken care to give this new work a pure morality, and a perfect decency, as well as a good order to learn and remember things. A continuation on demi-Gods  and Heroes is promised for the next year. In the preface of this second volume, the author defends herself against the critics, who accused her of only choosing dark, gloomy stories for her book. In her opinion, true fables can only be written by persons with a dark, gloomy imagination. Still, the work itself, and especially the minute and really ingenious arabesque designs keep amazing the reader.
A superb copy, in beautiful bindings, with the bookplate of Dominique Goytino on first endpapers.
Gumuchian 2699; cf. Brüggemann 263 (German ed. of 1811, with 54 plates); not in Vicaire.

Related Subjects: Bindings  Book History  Fable Books  Literature  Mystics 

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