MONNIER, Henry

Les Grisettes Leurs Moeurs

Paris: Giraldon Bovinet, 1828. Item #05494

"Perhaps the most piquant and original of Monnier's albums"

MONNIER, Henry. Les Grisettes Leurs Moeurs, leurs Habitudes, leurs bonnes Qualités, leurs Préjugés, leurs Erreurs, leurs Faiblesses, & C. Dessinés d'après Nature au sein de leurs plaisirs, de leurs occupations, &c &c. par Henry Monnier. Paris: Giraldon Bovinet, 1828.

First edition. Quarto (11 3/8 x 8 1/2 inches; 288 x 215 mm.). Lithograph title-page and 42 hand-colored lithograph plates.

Bound ca. 1830 in half maroon calf over marbled boards ruled in gilt, marbled endpapers. Publishers printed front brown wrapper and plain rear wrapper bound in. Excessively rare complete.

From the celebrated collection of R. Descamps-Scrive with his blue morocco bookplate on front endpaper. On the first blank, the oval stamp of Regency of H.R.H. Mgr. the Duke of Orleans, during the Minority of Louis XV. King of France.

"This is perhaps the most piquant and original of Monnier's albums. The grisette, an impressionable girl of the working class, was virtually his discovery. In the words of his title he "drew after nature" through these forty-two small lithographs, "their manners, their habits, their good qualities, their mistakes, their weaknesses," and so on. His scenes which include only two or three figures, typically show these appealing creatures at odds with their followers, but likely to get their way. The inventiveness of his designs and the persuasiveness of his captions are unfailing." (Ray No. 133).

A grisette (sometimes spelled grizette) has referred to a French working-class woman from the late 17th century and remained in common use through the Belle Époque era, albeit with some modifications to its meaning. It derives from gris (French for grey), and refers to the cheap grey fabric of the dresses these women originally wore. The 1694 edition of the Dictionnaire de l'Académie française described a grisette as simply "a woman of lowly condition". By the 1835 edition of the dictionary, her status had risen somewhat. She was described as: a young working woman who is coquettish and flirtatious.

Bobins III, 976; Colas 2130; Hiler p. 627 (24 plates only); Lipperheide 3660 (24 plates only); Marie 137-178; Ray no. 133; Rahir 547.

The Plates:

1. Tu es bète Fanny! Pourquoi vous dites je m’en moque!
You are stupid Fanny! Why you say I don't care!
2. Non, Gustave, je n’aime pas la société... L’odeur de la pipe m’incommode.
No, Gustave, I don't like society... The smell of the pipe bothers me.
3. Je prefère ton logement à ceux d’Auguste et de Théophile.
I prefer your lodgings to those of Auguste and Théophile.
4. Je sens bien que ma présence devient importune.
I feel that my presence is becoming unwelcome.
5. Monsieur! Je ne vous connais pas.
Sir! I do not know you.
6. Méchant!
Bad!
7. Tinissez, c’est des bêtises.
Hold on, that's nonsense.
8. On n’appelle pas son parrain, montrèsou.
You don't call your godfather, montresou.
9. C’est votre poule ussi, la petite à la portière.
It's your hen too, the little one at the door.
10. Nous étes tous des monstres.
We are all monsters.
11. C’est pas l’amitié qui vous étouffe vous!
It's not friendship that suffocates you!
12. Mademoiselle met des botte.
Mademoiselle puts on boots.
13. Voulez vous voustaire? gros polisson!
Do you want to shut up? big prank!
14. Tous! Cui ma chére, je m’ai toujours suffi.
All! My dear, I have always been self-sufficient.
15. Dieux! ètes-vous mauvais sujet!
Gods! are you bad subject!
16. Charles, tu te brules le sang.
Charles, you're burning your blood.
17. On est trop bête quand on aime.
We are too stupid when we love.
18. Monsieur, vous ne dites pas la vérité.
Sir, you are not telling the truth.
19. Vous n’avez pas couché chez Aglaé.
You haven't slept at Aglaé's.
20. Monsieur veut prendre son café.
Monsieur wants to have his coffee.
21. Pauvre chéri.
Poor darling.
22. Je vais me facher.
I'm going to get mad.
23. Je suis donc un cornichon.
So I'm a pickle.
24. Leon! vous me faites de la peine.
Leon! you hurt me.
25. Votre femme vous sait-elle ici?... vilain monstre?
Does your wife know you are here?... ugly monster?
26. T’es encore bonne enfant d’t’attacher.
You're still a good child to tie yourself up.
27. Fiez vous donc aux homme.
So trust the men.
28. Je t’ai fait de la peine, moi... mon petit Charles!
I hurt you, me... my little Charles!
29. Vous êtes aimable chez les autre!
You are kind to others!
30. Ils sont propres, vos procédés!
They are clean, your processes!
31. Tu m’attendais... ma foi! j’arrive.
You were expecting me... my faith! I'm coming.
32. Nous avons donc fait un héritage.
So we made a legacy.
33. Je veux mourir si j’ai jamais parle à votre Victor.
I want to die if I ever spoke to your Victor.
34. Le Propriétaire veut des gens tranquille.
The Owner wants quiet people.
35. Vous en avez donc fièrement de cousines.
So you proudly have cousins.
36. À qui ça?
To whom?
37. Ça n’empeche pas, vous avez encore été heureux de m’avoir.
It does not prevent, you were still happy to have me.
38. Devenez suicide si ça vous amuse.
Become suicide if it amuses you.
39. Allez embrasser celle d’ou vous venez.
Go kiss the one you came from.
40. Tu connais bien le coeur de ta Sophie?
Do you know your Sophie's heart well?
41. Edouard! je vais m’en aller.
Edward! I am leaving.
42. Dame! on ne se refait pas, j’ai le défaut d’aimer.
Lady! you can't get over it, I have the fault of loving.

Price: $12,500.00