Sylvie

Year:
1933
Author:
Gérard de Nerval (1808 - 1858)
Artist:
Pierre Brissaud (1885 - 1964)
Publisher:
Plon
Gérard de Nerval, Sylvie (1933) with an illustration by Pierre Brissaud: title page and frontispiece (p. [ii]-[iii])

At the time of the reissue of Gérard de Nerval's Sylvie, the director of Plon was Joseph Bourdel, a bibliophile. Traditionally, Plon is a publisher of books for a large audience, but under Bourdel's direction they also produced deluxe illustrated works and artist's books in small print runs.

Illustrations by Pierre Brissaud

On the title page, Sylvie is shown amidst a landscape with disproportionally large trees that lead the viewer away from the protagonist to a castle in the distance. It is characteristic of Pierre Brissaud's illustrations that the surroundings receive more attention than the person.

The embellished initials consist of two elements: the initial itself, printed in black along with the text, and a rectangular illustration printed on top of it, which can clearly be seen in the initial J on page 43. The miniature scenes in many cases refer to larger illustrations

Bibliographical description

Description:
Sylvie / Gérard de Nerval ; aquarelles de Pierre Brissaud. - Paris : Plon, 1933. - 105 p. : ill. ; 26 cm
Original edition:
1854
Printer:
Lahure
Edition:
440
This copy:
Number 88 of 400 on vélin d’Arches
Bibliography:
Carteret IV-304 ; Bénézit 2-319
Shelfmark:
KW KOOPM K 86

References

  • L. Carteret, Le trésor du bibliophile; 3, Paris, Libraire L. Carteret, 1946-1948
  • Jean-Yves Mollier, L'argent et les lettres: histoire du capitalisme d'édition, 1880-1920, Paris, Fayard, 1988
  • Marcus Osterwalder, Dictionnaire des illustrateurs; [II]: 1890-1945, XXe siècle, première génération: illustrateurs du monde entier nés avant 1885. Neuchâtel, Ides et Calendes, 1992
  • Histoire de la librairie française. Paris, Éditions du Cercle de la Librairie, 2008
  • M. Valotaire, 'Pierre Brissaud', in: The studio, 92 (1926), p. 323-328