Rosa Bonheur; Sa Vie, Son Oeuvre
Paris: Ernest Flammarion [printed by Georges Petit], [1908]. Bonheur, Rosa. Hardcover. Folio size, 455 pp., written in French. Near fine. Item #22120901
A book exploring the life and work of French artist Rosa (Marie-Rosalie) Bonheur (1822-1899) by Anna Elizabeth Klumpke, who also painted the portrait of Bonheur which hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Klumpke was (per Wiki) Bonheur's companion during the last year of her life, and was her sole heir after Bonheur's death.
Bonheur was a woman in many ways ahead of her time, wearing clothing traditionally male in style (trousers, shirts, ties), she smoked, and was openly lesbian at a time when none of these were deemed socially acceptable. Written by a woman, about a woman artist who strove to break traditional models; for those fortunate enough to read French this is an important biography - by some considered an auto-biography, as the book was written using the first-person voice of Bonheur.
While copies of this book are not uncommon in the online marketplace, this volume bound in half-leather and in remarkable condition.
___DESCRIPTION: Half-leather over brown cloth boards, "Rosa Bonheur", "Klumpke" and "Paris" in gilt on the spine, the raised bands on the spine with gilt decorations, top edge gilt, fore- and bottom edges rough-cut, marbled paper endpapers, stamp on the verso of the half-title which appears to read "Document by Miss Anna Klumpke, 1908", frontispiece a tissue-guarded heliogravure of Bonheur (one of seven throughout the book), title page in red and black with circular illustration of a lion's head (she was known for her paintings of animals), volume is profusely illustrated throughout with black-and-white reproductions of Bonheur's work (we estimate well over 250 such); folio size (12 5/8" by 9 3/8"), pagination: [i-v] vi-viii [1] 2-445 (which includes a wealth of material such as an Iconography and a Bibliography), [1, blank] [1, printer's statement]; PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL TEXT IN FRENCH.
___CONDITION: Near fine and could almost be deemed fine, the leather spine and corners soft and supple, the boards clean and without wear, straight corners without rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; a very small amount of rubbing at the tail of the spine and a few light, stray marks to the leather at the edges and joints, else fine.
___POSTAGE: Please note that the volume was printed on clay-coated paper and is excessively heavy, therefore additional postage will apply; please inquire for details.
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Price: $250.00