La Légende de Croque-Mitaine 769-778

Paris: Hachette et Cie, 1863. French First edition. Hardcover. very good/no dj as issued. Gustave Dore. Hachette et Cie, 1863
in-4 12.5" x 9.5" (31 x 23.5 cm); 274pp.
Splendid copy preserved in its rare publisher's red percaline, very fresh. Percaline decorated with gilded decoration on the front cover surmounted by the title in a cartouche. Gilt title on the back, decorated back cover. All edges gilt.

First edition illustrated with 177 drawings by Gustave Doré in first print, including vignettes, inserts, header... All engraved by Maurand, Sarglat... Beautiful print on 'Grand Velin' paper.

Very fresh percaline, gleaming gilding, ends of the lower jaws. slightly split (2 cm). Impeccable hinge, very clean interior, rare foxing.

Very nice copy of the first printing, very rare in publisher's cardboard percaline cover (Vicar).

Provenance: ex-libris designed by Robida with the initials "MF". -- "Excellent buffoonery where Charlemagne, his braves and all the characters of Ariosto are irreverently treated by the author and the artist. But the idea of the work is healthy and useful: far from telling children the frightening and silly stories that they dream of at night, the two collaborators have shown here how Croque-Mitaine, very amusing as a fable, doesn't exist as a story at all. "(Henri Leblanc, Catalog of the complete works of Gustave Doré, Paris, Ch. Bosse, 1931, page 221).