F. Basan - Collection de Cent-Vingt Estampes - 1781

Collection of One Hundred Twenty Prints, etched after the paintings & drawings that composed the cabinet of Mr. Poullain, Receiver-General of the King's Domains, who died in 1780.


Preceded by a historical abridgment of the lives of the authors who composed it. Dedicated to Mr. the Count d’Orsay.
Paris: Chez Basan et Poignant, 1781.

First and only edition.

Format: 29 x 23.5 cm; pp. (4), 22, (2) + 120 engravings on 116 sheets (complete).

Conserved in the original period binding in full red morocco with gilding to the spine (as shown in the provided images).

A work of extraordinary historical-artistic importance: it is the illustrated catalog of the famous Antoine Poullain collection, one of the most refined French art collectors of the eighteenth century. After the collector’s death (1780), the collection was dispersed at auction and many works today are in the world’s most important international museums.

The volume contains 120 magnificent etchings and engravings (on 116 sheets, with some plates combining two), engraved under the direction of Pierre-François Basan by various artists, reproducing paintings and drawings by great masters: Rembrandt, Rubens, Van Dyck, Claude Lorrain, Gerrit Dou, Jordaens, and many others (as also evidenced by the alphabetical table of authors).

It is one of the most beautiful and complete collections of eighteenth-century French cabinet reproductions, fundamental for the study of the history of collecting and reproduction graphics. Complete copies like this are rare on the market; the work is cited in major bibliographies (Brunet, Cohen-De Ricci) and is highly sought after by collectors of illustrated books, prints, and art history.

Many of the depicted works are today dispersed or in museum collections, making this volume a precious visual document of the era.

Volume in excellent condition for its age (complete, with all 120 plates), with an antique patina and undeniable charm.

Ideal for important collections of illustrated old books or prints.

A work of high collectible value, with comparable copies fetched at international auctions for several thousand euros.