Les Français peints par eux-mêmes - 1870

Fascinating illustrated edition of this vast social and literary fresco in multiple volumes, bringing together the contributions of numerous 19th-century writers and illustrators to create a typological portrait of French society under the July Monarchy.

Each chapter is dedicated to an emblematic figure — the bourgeois, the bohemian, the notary, the student, the grisette, the military man, the provincial, etc. — described with verve, irony, and precision in a narrative style blending realistic observation, social caricature, and moral satire.

The work, conceived as a 'moral encyclopedia of the 19th century,' aligns with the tradition of popular physiologies, where text and image engage in dialogue to offer a view that is both critical and picturesque of the French people.

The illustrations, often signed by renowned artists such as Gavarni or Daumier, enhance the lively and expressive character of the entire work.

This work is a valuable source for the history of mentalities, representations, and editorial practices of the 19th century.

Collective - The French painted by themselves - SD (Circa 1870) - J. Philipppart
399 pages

Good condition of the binding, the work in its edition blue half-leather, marbled boards, signs of use, decorated gilt spine, with gold lettering.

Good interior condition, scattered foxing, work enriched with numerous illustrations inside and outside the text, including a frontispiece, texts in two columns, marbled endpapers.

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