Beschreibung:

LOUIS XV (1710-1774), King of France – Le Sacre de Louis XV, Roy de France & de Navarre, dans l'Eglise de Reims, Le Dimanche XXV Octobre MDCCXXII . [Paris: 1722?]. Probably the most magnificent of all fête books, this monumental work depicts the ceremonial events that occurred upon the coronation of Louis XV at the Cathedral in Reims in 1722. The accompanying descriptive text was written by Antoine Danchet and revised by Jean-Paul-Bignon and Claude Gros de Boze. The plates illustrate various scenes from the coronation including the procession to the church, the King prostrate before the altar, the crowning of the King, the celebratory festival held after the coronation, and the costume plates show the attire worn by Louis XV and some of the notable figures in attendance. Berlin 3009; Brunet V, 19 'ce volume est recherché à cause de belles planches qu'il renferme'; Cohen-de-Ricci 917; Vinet 516; Watanabe 2018. Folio (645 x 471mm). Text printed on rectos only. Engraved throughout, preliminaries and accompanying descriptions of plates each within elaborate border, engraved title-page, 9 double-page plates on guards 'brillamment exécutées, et riches de détails' (Vinet), 30 single-page costume plates, double-page table of contents, single-page list of 'noms des peintres et graveurs,' and 9 headpiece vignettes of allegorical figures by Charles Nicolas Cochin the Younger, Louis Desplaces Ennemond Petitot, et al. after Pierre Dulin and Pierre Josse Perrot (some even browning mainly affecting text). Contemporary mottled calf, covers with gilt triple fillet border and fleurs-de-lys cornerpieces, gilt spine, red edges (extremities rubbed, heavily with some loss to head & tail of spine and corners, spot of green paint on lower cover). Provenance : old paper library label at foot of spine.