Beschreibung:

334 [FABLES] – LA FONTAINE, J. DE. Fabelen [..], in Nederduitsche Vaerzen. [Dutch transl. by J. Nomsz]. Eerste-Veertiende Stuk. Te Amsterdam en Harlingen, By Warnars, Allart en Van der Plaats [part 1]/ By J. Allart [part 2-14], 1803-1805. 14 Parts. With engr. frontisp. by R. Vinkeles after J. Buys and 275 engr. plates by J. Punt & R. Vinkeles (after J.-B. Oudry ). Orig. unif. printed boards, uncut. (14x) ¶ Landwehr F133 (mentioning 276 plates). La Fontaine Verwey p. 103 & 163 (mentioning A. Delfos as co-engraver). Cf. Cohen pp. 550-551 (mentioning 275 plates). Re-edition of the Dutch translation by Joannes Nomsz (first published in 1786) illustrated with fine engraved plates used for the French edition publ. in Leyden in 1764-1786. The number of plates vary in the copies we have traced (275 or 276 engravings), but our set seems to be complete. ¶ An extraordinary set printed on thick paper with wide margins (esp. the engravings) and published as SEPARATE PARTS in the ORIGINAL PUBLISHER’S BOARDS. It was originally meant to be bound into 4 volumes (at the end of part 14 there are PRINTED EXTRA: 4 half-titles, 4 titles and a leaf with 4 letterpieces & “Berigt voor den Binder”). Several fables are illustrated with more than one engraving: nos. IV (2x), XII (2x), XVIII (2x), XLIII (5x), L (2x), LV (2x), LX (2x), LXI (2x), LXIV (2x), LXXVIII (2x), CXIV (2x), CLXXII (2x), CLXXX (3x), CLXXXII (2x), CLXXXIX (2x), CXCVIII (2x), CCII (2x), CCXXI (2x), CCXXII (2x), CCXXV (2x), CCXXVIII (3x), CCXLIII (2x) & CCXLIV (2x). A part of the engravings seems to be placed in a wrong order (nos. CIV-CXXX are published in vols. 5-7), but they correspond with the parallel Dutch translation. One of the highlights of Dutch 18th-century book-illustration. Ex bibliotheca Mr. H. Herfst (sold in our auction of 19 November 1997, lotnumber 428). ¶ Apart from a few minor imperfections (several covers occ. sl. soiled/ worn along extremities, a few leaves of vol. 5 with small waterstain in outer blank margin) in fine condition.