PHILIPON, Charles, illustrator; WATTIER, Émile

Les Compensations

Paris: Chez Ostervald ainé, Rittner, & Hautecœur, 1828. Item #04943

An Exceptionally Rare and Amusing Suite of Hand Colored Lithographs

PHILIPON, Charles. WATTIER, Émile. Les Compensations Composées et Dessinées par Ch. Philipon, Lithographies par Wattier. Paris: Chez Ostervald ainé, Rittner, & Hautecœur, [1828].

First edition. Quarto (14 x 11 inches; 355 x 280 mm.). Forty-eight hand colored lithograph plates, all mounted on stubs. Plate 3 bis with two small clean marginal tears; plate 4 with small inner marginal stain not affecting image; plate 16 slightly shorter (1/2 inch) at fore-margin. There is some light, mainly marginal foxing and toning, still an excellent example of this great rarity. The hand-coloring of the plates is quite exceptional.

Contemporary quarter maroon straight-grain morocco over pebbled cloth boards. Smooth spine ruled and lettered in gilt, marbled endpapers. Small piece missing from bottom of spine, extremities a little rubbed.

This excessively rare and complete suite of forty-eight superb hand-colored lithographs was issued in four parts, each having twelve plates. Without title as issued.

According to OCLC there are no copies in libraries and institutions worldwide. They do record nine institutions each with one of the plates. We have seen only one other complete example - eighteen years ago in 2002 (private collection).

Not in Bobins, Colas, Hiler, Lipperheide or Ray.

Charles Philipon (1800-1861) was a French lithographer, caricaturist and journalist. He was the editor of La Caricature and of Le Charivari, both of which were satirical political journals.

Émile-Charles Wattier (1800-1868) was a French painter, illustrator, engraver and lithographer. He was the younger brother of artist Édouard Wattier (1793-1871).

The plates:

1. Amours d’Inclination.
1 bis. Amours de Convenance.
2. L’art remplace la nature.
2 bis. La nature se passe de l’art.
3. L’un monte.
3 bis. L’autre descend.
4. Actrice le soir.
4 bis. Marquis le matin.
5. Bonheur réel.
5 bis. Bonheur chimérique.
6. Sommes-nous de feu? Elles sont de glace!
6 bis. Nous refroidissons-nous? Elles s’enflamment.
7. Rodomont en public.
7 bis. Poltron en particulier.
8. Rampant avec un Supérieur.
8 bis. Impudent avec un Subordonné.
9. Nomination.
9 bis. Démission.
10. Brebis la veille...
10 bis. Tigre le lendemain.
11. Celui-ci voudrait remonter.
11 bis. Celui lá voudrait redescemdre
12. Vues de dos.
12 bis. Vues de face.
13. Le Créancier.
13 bis. Le Débiteur.
14. Jeunesse et beauté.
14 bis. Vieillesse et Laideur.
15. Petits voleurs.
15 bis. Grand voleur.
16. Bonjour.
16 bis. Bonsoir.
17. Lettre d’amour.
17 bis. Lettre de Change.
18. La Demoiselle sennuye.
18 bis. La Grisette s’amuse.
19. Un Bienfaiteur
19. bis. Une Bienfaitrice
20. Canaille du paradis
20 bis. Beau monde des loges
21. L'Eligible chez l'Electeur
21 bis. L'Electeur chez le Député
22. Ostentation
22 bis. Charité
23. Celui-ci feint de savoir
23 bis. Celui-là feint d'ignorer
24. Charmant Réveil
24 bis. Vilain Réveil

Not in Colas, Hiler or Lipperheide.

Price: $14,500.00