THEOCRITE. Les Idylles. Translation by Leconte de Lisle. - Lot 284

THEOCRITE. Les Idylles. Translation by Leconte de Lisle. A remarkable copy of this edition, decorated with 25 color compositions by the painter René Menard, one of the 100 first copies reserved for members of the Société, printed for Monsieur Léon Comar, in an elegant mosaic binding by Georges Canape. Paris, Société du Livre d'Art, 1911. In-4 (220x290 mm), blue morocco, cold-framed ribbed spine, decorated with brown stamped and mosaic fleurons in a green morocco stamped and mosaic pastille, wide brown, beige and duck blue morocco stamped and mosaic framing frieze on the boards, inner band in the same morocco decorated with floral lace and the signature "Canape. R.D." in gilt, duck-blue moiré silk lining and endpapers, gilt edges on witnesses, covers and spine preserved, lined slipcase (Canape). 146 pages, 25 color compositions by René Menard wood-engraved by Jacques, Camille and Georges Beltrand, including 1 frontispiece, several headpieces, a title medallion and a final cul-de-lampe, ornaments drawn by Jacques Beltrand framing the text. Spine faded. Minor rubbing to edges of slipcase. Deluxe edition of the masterwork by Theocritus of Syracuse, in the translation by Leconte de Lisle, illustrated in the first edition with 25 color compositions by the Symbolist painter René Menard (1862-1930), wood-engraved by Jacques, Camille and Georges Beltrand, with handsome ornaments by Jacques Beltrand framing the text. Limited edition of 135 copies on Arches vellum, this being one of the 100 first copies reserved for members of the Society, printed for Monsieur Léon Comar and bearing N°74. From the library of Léon Comar (1863-1932), with his bookplate vignette on the first white endpaper. A very fine copy in mosaic morocco, perfectly established by Georges Canape (1864-1940).