French Book-plates Part 39

An armorial plate for la Comtesse Le Pellerin de Gauville, reproduced in "Les Archives dela Societe Francaise,"

Mai, 1896, with a history of the family, Le Theil.

LANcON, _a Nancy_. 18th cent.

LANDRY _sculpsit_. 17th cent.

Messire Paul Armand Langlois, chevalier, conseiller du Roy en ses conseils et Maistre Ordinaire de son hostel.

A handsome armorial.

LAPAIX, C. 1878.

Ex Libris F. des Robert.

Armorial.

Leon Le Brun. 1884.

Armorial.

LAPORTERIE _sc._ 18th cent.

De Bourscheit Burgbroel, etc.

Armorial.

DE LA LAUNE _del. et sc._ 18th cent.

Mr. Chanorier. Armorial.

A. LAVAU _Sculp. a Bordeaux_.

De la Bibliotheque de Mr. de hilorieur Conseilleur au Parlement de Bordeaux, 1765. M^{e}. des Requetes, 1776. Armorial.

LEBAS, 1741.

LEBEAU. 18th cent.

Antoine Louis Du Pre de St.

Maur Officier aux Gardes francoises, _par son tres h.

Serviteur Lebeau_.

This officer was born in 1743, and married in 1774, about which period, probably, this elegant trophy plate was engraved. It was reproduced in the "Archives de la Societe Francaise," Oct.

1894.

LE BLOND. _Dessine et grave par Le Blond_, on a nameless armorial, dated 1785.

A modern armorial plate for Thomas Harrison is signed "_Le Blond sc. 4 Walbrook_."

LE CLERC, G. 17th cent.

LE CLERC, SeBASTIEN. 17th cent.

A famous engraver of Metz, and afterwards of Paris, whose works were described by Jombert in his "Catalogue raisonne de l'uvre de Seb. Le Clerc" (Paris, 1774), in which mention is made of seven armorial "marques de bibliotheques"

all signed by him.

Poulet-Mala.s.sis mentions four others, in different sizes, all for Nicolas Martigny de Marsal, all signed, and two dated 1655 and 1660.

In 1701, he signed _S. Le Clerc invenit_ on the armorial plate inscribed "_Matthaeus Franciscus Geoffroy_," which was engraved by Cl. Duflos.

This design was afterwards appropriated by P. Picaut, (or Picault) for a M. Veronneau of Blois. Jombert, in his catalogue, described this plate for M. Geoffroy, on which the motto was, "_Turris fortissima Deus_."

S. Le Clerc is credited with having been the first to depart from the formal, but correct heraldic style, as shown on the plates of Andre Felibien, and Alexandre Petau, in order to adopt the oval shield (of Italian origin) set in a foliated cartouche, the Renaissance style, in fact, which gradually developed into the Louis XIV. style.

See "Ex-Libris Ana" (p. 31), for further details about the works of Le Clerc. The following plates are named as engraved by him:

Jean Baptiste de Jouanne, Marquis de Saumery.

Pierre Le Febvre (of Metz).

Maurice Le Tellier, archeveque de Reims.

Denis G.o.defroy de Tralage.

M. de la Reynie.

Bibliotheca Thuana.

Le Duc de Bouillon.

Etienne Baluze.

M. de Beringhen. Reproduced by M. Henri Bouchot.

LECLERE. 18th cent.

LOUISE LE DAULCEUR. 18th cent.

This clever engraver signed her name in several ways.

Le D.

Louise Le D. _sculp._

Madame Le D.

Louise Le Daulceur.

Daul _sculp._

L. Daul _sculp._

Louise Daul:

She herself had two book-plates, one inscribed M^{de} Le Daulceur, is signed "_Ed.

Bouchardon in. del. Louise Le D. sculp._" the other, a smaller one, is not signed.

Madlle. Le Daulceur studied under Bouchardon, and in examining the plates signed by her, it will be seen that she engraved after designs furnished by Bouchardon, Pierre, H. Gravelot, C.

Eisen, and Durand, whilst Poulet-Mala.s.sis speaks of her as "une femme du monde, amateur de talent, gracieux intermediaire entre les artistes ses maitres et ses amis."

Her talents appear to have been princ.i.p.ally devoted to ill.u.s.trating books of poems for her friends, and it is supposed that the ex-libris she engraved were probably works of love. The following is a list of them.