XVIIe & XVIIIe Siècle: Lettres, Sciences et Arts en France – Paul Lacroix – 1878 & 1882 | Two-Volume Set Illustrated

Two large-format folio volumes by Paul Lacroix, published in 1878 and 1882, survey French artistic, literary, and scientific discovery across two centuries. The set includes XVIIe Siècle: 1590–1700 and XVIIIe Siècle: 1700–1789. Both volumes are illustrated throughout, with 33 chromolithograph plates and more than 500 engraved in-text illustrations. Each volume is uniformly bound in red leather with ornate gilt decoration on the boards, spine, page edges, and endpapers.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: XVIIe Siècle: Lettres, Sciences et Arts en France 1590–1700; XVIIIe Siècle: Lettres, Sciences et Arts en France 1700–1789
• Author(s): Paul Lacroix
• Publisher: Paris, Librairie de Firmin-Didot et Cie
• Edition: First printings, 1878 (XVIIIe), 1882 (XVIIe)
• Format: Large folio, two volumes
• Binding: Quarter red leather and gilt, red cloth boards; all page edges gilt, patterned endpapers
• Size:  11.5in X 8.5in (29.5cm x 21.5cm)
• Collation:
  • Vol. XVII: [4], VIII, 581, [1] pp
  • Vol. XVIII: XIII, [3], 560 pp
• Illustrations:
  • Vol. XVII: 17 chromolithograph plates, approx. 284 in-text engravings
  • Vol. XVIII: 16 chromolithograph plates, approx. 250 in-text engravings
• Contents Include:
  • Developments in astronomy, medicine, physics, chemistry, and natural sciences
  • French expeditions and Jesuit travel through Canada, Asia, and North Africa
  • Libraries, private collections, and cabinets of curiosities
  • Major literary figures including Pascal, Racine, La Fontaine, Molière, and Madame de Sévigné
  • Painting from Poussin, Le Brun, and Claude Lorrain to Watteau, Chardin, and David
  • Furniture, tapestries, and interior objects attributed to court artisans such as André-Charles Boulle
  • Porcelain from Limoges and Sèvres, along with crystal, enamel, and decorative metalwork
  • Architecture across royal commissions, including Versailles, the Louvre, and the Panthéon
• Provenance: Handwritten inscription, “A mon petit et bien aimable camarade, Monsieur Leon Lebrun, 25 Decembr. 1877, G. Robert”

Condition:

Both volumes in original quarter red publisher’s leather shows ornate gilt tooling to both spine and boards, with minor wear and rubbing consistent with age. Gilt page edges are bright and intact, protecting the text block. Gilt, patterned endpapers. Textblock is secure, with occasional foxing. Beautiful illustrations throughout, clean display.

Why Collect This?

• Two-volume folio set by Paul Lacroix covering 1590 to 1789
• First editions published in deluxe gilt red leather bindings
• Includes 33 chromolithographs and 500+ engravings

Item Number: #28764