DUVAL, N[icolas]. Nouvelles heures gravées au burin, dédiées au Roy.

Engraved Hours

DUVAL, N[icolas]. Nouvelles heures gravées au burin, dédiées au Roy. Paris: J [ean] Mariette. Not before 1691 (c. 1695–1700?).

Small 4to. Eighteenth-century burgundy morocco, boards panelled in gilt with central gilt floral vignettes, spine gilt in compartments with gilt red morocco lettering-piece, gilt edges, silver edge guards, clasps, and catches, marbled endpapers; pp. [2], 212, 8, [2 (contents, blank)]; quire Q mispaginated but register continuous; copper-engraved throughout; silver and gilding to upper board tarnished, joints, spine ends, and raised bands lightly rubbed; title somewhat soiled and spotted, lightly toned throughout, sporadic light spotting; nonetheless a very good copy in a handsome binding, the engravings sharp.

A beautifully bound early edition of this entirely engraved Book of Hours dedicated to Louis XIV (1638–1713), produced by the calligrapher and engraver Nicolas I Duval (b. 1635).

Attributed dates for the edition printed by Jean Mariette vary wildly, from c. 1680 to c. 1740. ‘It is a curious fact, that we have not been able to find any date about the engraver, Bénézit, Guilmart, Brunet nor Graesse mention the name. The only reference to a Nicolas Duval, who designed capitals we found in the Fleuron, VI, p. 109 with the date 1650. We are not sure however that this is the same person’ (Van Gendt, quoted in Bonacini). Writing master and engraver Nicolas I Duval, secretaire ordinaire du Roy, was known for his work with bâtarde type as well as his collaborations with the engraver Louis Senault (1630–c. 1680), with whom he produced several Books of Hours dedicated to a host of notable figures including the Dauphine of France. Duval’s characteristic calligraphic flourishes, as well as the engraved details introducing each prayer, are particularly fine.

The issue cited by Bonacini is printed for Nicolas Langlois by Jean Mariette, with no mention of precise place of printing within Paris. This edition, printed by Mariette on Rue St Jacques ‘a la Victoire et aux Colonnes d’Hercule’, was almost certainly printed after 1691, when the printer inherited the premises of his father, Pierre Mariette II, at the sign of the pillars of Hercules.

The Mariette and Langlois families were closely connected, and Nicolas Langlois (who operated from the publishing house at the sign of Victory, mentioned in the imprint) and Jean Mariette were evidently stepbrothers: Madeleine de Collemont (fl. 1647–1664) continued the publishing business after the death of her husband, the printer François Langlois (who had previously, with Pierre I Mariette, acquired stock from the printer Tavernier), and in 1654 she married Pierre Mariette II, who took over her premises at the sign of the pillars of Hercules and whose stock of printing plates passed into his hands following her death ten years later.

Bonacini 561; cf. Brunet, Supplement I, col. 627 (calling for the edition distributed by Langlois only, attributed to c. 1660).

SKU: 2126701