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Charles-Louis François FOSSE (1734-1812) Auf Merkliste setzen

Idées d’un militaire pour la disposition des troupes confiées aux jeunes officiers dans la défense et l’attaque des petits postes. Dédié à M. Le Duc de Chatelet. De l’Imprimerie de Franç. Amb. Didot l’Ainé. A Paris, chez Alexandre Jombert Jeune, 1783. Large 4to (305x225); [14], 116, 60 pp. 11 folding colour-printed engraved plates (each one hinged to the upper margin of the relevant caption leaf, as issued), [2] pp. (approbation and imprimatur). Engraved printer’s device on title page, signed Millier sculpt 1782, large coloured coat-of-arms of the Duc de Chatelet on third leaf. Plates signed Gravé par Louis Marin Bonnet premier Graveur dans ce genre, plate III also dated 1781. Contemporary half-calf with corners, gilt title on spine. Unobtrusive stain on external margin of few leaves. Fine, uncut copy on large and strong paper.

Only edition. Fossé’s most famous work, as well as the most famous book printed using the crayon or pastel manner invented by Louis Marin Bonnet. The present work is a manual of instruction on tactics, intended for the use of young officers and it is divided in two parts. In the first part the author describes how a small formation, between 30 and 300 men, should organize its the attack or defence in places such as a graveyard, a castle or a mansion, attack a mill or a bridge or take an enemy post by surprise. The second part deals with the drawing and especially the colouring of military maps. In this section the influence of the basic essay of Buchotte can be recognized, but Fossé adds many instructions on map colouring, which could be put in use by the process of colour-printing or by colouring by hand. The analysis of the colours most suitable to colouring of military maps is detailed and includes a series of instructions on the preparation of various dyes as Indian ink, Prussian blue, bistre and others. The plates depict military manoeuvres in different places, generally embellished with vegetation, ravines, buildings, mansions, gardens and much more. The book is furthermore magnificently printed by Didot using his “Royal” fonts. Charles-Louis François Fossé was an engineer and officer in the French army, who ended his career as commander of the place of Huningue. He was a prolific writer on technical arguments, mostly for use of military schools. Louis-Marin Bonnet (1743–1793) was a French engraver, painter and print publisher; he was a pupil of Jean-Charles François (1717-1769) and of Gilles Demarteau (1722-1776). Jean-Charles François (1717-1769) was among the pioneers of the so-called “manière de crayon”, a printing method which simulated the appearance of crayon and chalk drawings; Demarteau, who worked for him, adapted the process to create an improved one for polychrome engraving. Bonnet, a pupil of both, perfected the technique calling his new method the ‘pastel manner’ and styling himself premier Graveur dans ce genre (first engraver in this kind). The process was demanding, but it allowed Bonnet to produce colour prints of the highest quality. “... even if he did not, as he claimed, discover the technique of engraving in a pencil-like style, which was in fact due to Demarteau, he can at least take credit for having created engraving that imitates pastel...” (Portalis, p. 244, translated). REF.ROGER PORTALIS et HENRI BERALDI, Les graveurs du XVIIIe siècle Paris, 1880, vol. I(1), pp. 244-249; BRUNET II, 1354: “Ouvrage estimé”; FÜRSTENBERG (Das Französische Buch) 121; HONEYMAN 1350 (missing half-title as often); BURCH Color printing and color printers pp. 84-85; WADDLETON Books with color printed illustrations 1783.2; not in COHEN, SANDER, LEWINE, MARINI. (Seller ref. MC0969)

2300,- EUR
Differenzbesteuert/Subject to margin taxation

Sachgebiete: Erstausgaben, Illustrierte Bücher, Militaria

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