LOUVET DE COUVRAY. Les Amours du Chevalier de Faublas, par J.-B. Louvet. 3e. édition, revue par l’auteur. Se vend à Paris, chez l’auteur, rue de Grenelle Germain, vis-à-vis la rue de Bourgogne, ci-devant hôtel de Sens, no. 1495, et chez les marchands de nouveautés. An VI de la République (1798). 4 vols., 8vo. Illustrated by 27 plates, one of these is engraved by Choffard after Demarne.
There are copies on vellum paper in which the plates should be found before letters with the artists’ names “à la pointe.”
Although very rare, the eaux-fortes of these plates exist.
The third is the best edition and the one sought after.
LUCRÈCE. De la Nature des Choses, traduction de La Grange. De l’imprimerie de Didot le jeune, Paris, chez Bleuet, l’an deuxième de la République (1794), 2 vols., 4to, vellum paper. 1 frontispiece placed in each volume and 6 plates by Monnet; one of these is engraved by Choffard. This plate is framed and proofs of the frame alone exist, as well as others containing the vignette.
This book was also published in 3 volumes, large 4to, vellum paper, with the same plates, but the frontispiece, unsigned, is only placed in the first volume. This edition consisted of 50 copies.
OVIDE. Les Métamorphoses d’Ovide, en latin et en françois, de la traduction de M. l’abbé Banier, de l’Académie royale des inscriptions et belles-lettres, avec des explications historiques. Paris, Hochereau (or Despilly, or Barrois, or Delalain, or Guillyn), 1767-1771, 4 vols., 4to. A frontispiece, 3 dedication-pages, 4 fleurons on the title-pages, 30 vignettes, a tail-piece at the end of the last volume and 140 plates.
Choffard’s work for this book consists of 30 head-pieces, 5 are etched after Monnet and 25 invented and etched by Choffard, a title-frontispiece, the frame for the dedication to the Duc de Chartres, 4 fleurons on the title-pages and a large tail-piece at the end of the fourth volume. MM. Portalis and Béraldi also attribute to the “maître ornemaniste” the design of the frames that contain the vignettes.
These etchings exist in various unfinished states, artist’s proofs and proofs before letters. In the exquisite frame round the dedication there is a slight difference between the design of the proofs before letters and those after: early states bear the fleur-de-lis crown on the ball itself, whereas later impressions have the crown placed outside, above the ball.
This book contains fine illustrations of nine artists: Boucher, Choffard, Eisen, Gravelot, Leprince, Monnet, Moreau, Parizeau, and Saint-Gois and since these beautiful drawings were reproduced by the greatest engravers France possessed, the artistic value of the four volumes is remarkable.