Heures nouvelles dédiées à Monseigneur le Dauphin, Paris, "Chez l'Autheur rue de bussy a la croix blanche… et au Palais chez Jacque Le Gras…"

Paris : [s.n.], [1694].

1 volume ; 12 cm

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France -- Paris, -- publication place.

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From dealer's description: "2. SENAULT (Elisabeth), Heures nouvelles dédiées à Monseigneur le Dauphin, Paris, "Chez l'Autheur rue de bussy a la croix blanche… et au Palais chez Jacque Le Gras…", n. d. [1694]. 16°, (4)-212 pages ; 19th-century brown sheepskin, spine with blind-tooled compartments and gilt-lettering, blind-tooled double fillet along boars, inner gilt dentelle, gilt edges (a few small stains on boards ; tiny tear in upper right corner of title leaf, small marginal dampstain to pages 131-134). The genuine and scarce first issue of this book of hours entirely calligraphed, decorated and engraved by Elisabeth Senault. We managed to locate only one other copy of this edition in French libraries. Kept in the Versailles library, it ends on page 188 and is incomplete of the last part devoted to the Hymes for the main feasts of the year. In subsequent issues, the lower part of the title leaves was retouched to accommodate different addresses, sometimes with modified ornamentation (dolphins, sheaves). The date of this extremely rare first issue – 1694 - is given by the Journal des Savants, which insists on the fact that the book was engraved by a young woman : "Ce que ces Heures ont de particulier, c'est qu'elles sont gravées par une jeune fille dont le burin surpasse la beauté des caractères de l'Imprimerie & qui suit parfaitement bien les traces d'un pere qui estoit parvenu par un long travail à la perfection de l'écriture & de la gravure." (Journal des Sçavans, 1695, vol. XXII, p. 805). Little is known about Elisabeth Senault, other than that she was the daughter of Louis Senault, an important writing master and engraver from the second half of the 17th century, who trained her in calligraphy and engraving. After her father's death around 1690, she produced several fully engraved prayer books for private use, following in his footsteps. These Heures nouvelles are conceived as an abridged "book of hours", with additional private prayers for various occasions, such as before and after confession. They are dedicated to the Grand Dauphin, son of Louis XIV. The engraved ornamentation includes frames, head- and tailpieces, initials, and intermediate titles decorated with flowers, scrolls, birds, plants, hearts... At the bottom of the title leaf, a contemporary manuscript inscription in ink, perhaps in Elisabeth Senault's hand, mentions a change of address: "et apresant rue des mauvais garson a langle Royal". This could be her own address or that of her bookseller Jacques Le Gras." Ordered from Le Zograscope, D9732, 2024-04-05, email quote, Item #2

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