Category: History - European
In his “Petite Revue d’Ex-Libris Alsaciens,” Mons. Auguste Stoeber claimed to have discovered an armorial ex-libris which had been engraved for Conrad Wolfhart, of Rouffach, who died in 1561, but the evidence is not conclusive, otherwise this would have been the earliest Frenc...
In his “Petite Revue d’Ex-Libris Alsaciens,” Mons. Auguste Stoeber claimed to have discovered an armorial ex-libris which had been engraved for Conrad Wolfhart, of Rouffach, who...
2. CHAPTER I.It is nearly a quarter of a century since Mons. Maurice Tourneux first drew attention to the subject of French book-plates in an article which appeared in “L’Amateur d’Autograph...
3. CHAPTER II.A collector will probably find it more difficult to identify and classify the ex-libris of France than those of any other country. The number of anonymous plates of comparativel...
4. CHAPTER III.Although the nomenclature and fundamental rules of heraldry in France are somewhat similar to those in use in Great Britain, yet in many important details the two systems differ...
5. CHAPTER IV.From 1574 to 1650 French book-plates were not numerous, and very few dated examples are known, but the age of the plates can generally be approximately decided by their style.
6. CHAPTER V.The plates of _André Felibien_, escuier, sieur des Avaux, seigneur de Iavercy, Historiographe du Roy, are notable as being dated 1650 and as marking the commencement of a transi...
7. CHAPTER VI.The rapid multiplication of books and libraries during this period naturally led to a corresponding increase in the use of ex-libris. About the same time a new style of ex-libri...
8. CHAPTER VII.In Great Britain political changes have had comparatively little effect upon the development of art, whereas in France the great events of her history have left their impress de...
9. CHAPTER VIII.He had learnt nothing and forgotten nothing during his exile, and notwithstanding the strong advice of the Powers who had set him up in business as a monarch, he encouraged a st...
10. CHAPTER IX.In June, 1881, M. Auguste Stoeber wrote some articles on Alsatian book-plates which were published in the “Express de Mulhouse.” In response to the persuasion of his friends he...
11. Chapter XIV.Coming to the adjoining frontier province, we find that the plates engraved in Lorraine are rather less influenced by German art and the ponderous German heraldry. Many beautifu...
12. CHAPTER X.So long as the government of France was monarchical, it was largely influenced by the priests, and her most famous statesmen were such princes of the Church as Richelieu, Mazari...
13. CHAPTER XI.It is as well to remember that living as we do in a Protestant country, our historians have been strongly biassed in their favour, and that whilst the horrors of St. Bartholomew...
14. CHAPTER XII.“Honour a physician with the honour due unto him for the uses which ye may have of him” says the old book, and having considered the plates of those whose duty it is to attend t...
15. CHAPTER XIII.Thus the Montagues bear in their arms three fusils in fesse, the sharply serrated points of which suggest mountain peaks--the original name of the family having been Montacute....
16. CHAPTER XIV.“Gentilz Ouvriers, qui d’un soing curieux Allez cherchant es plus vieilles reliques Venez icy, et aux proffitz publiques Imitez en les plus laborieux ...” J. BULLANT. (From the...
17. CHAPTER XV.The name of François Rabelais, priest, doctor, wit, satirist, and philanthropist, eclipses all other early French writers. In “Les Portraits de Rabelais” (1880), M. Georges d’Al...
18. CHAPTER XVI.From the downfall of the first Napoleon, and the restoration of the Monarchy, until about 1850, art, as shown in ex-libris, appears to have slumbered; scarcely anything can be f...
19. CHAPTER XVII.In the following list no attempt has been made to enumerate every separate ex-libris signed by each artist; such works as would best illustrate their style, or the period they w...