ALBUM DE DÉCOUPIS. POPULAR IMAGERY 18th-19th century. Collec - Lot 150

ALBUM DE DÉCOUPIS. POPULAR IMAGERY 18th-19th century. Collection of peddler's images, mythological figures, ornaments and various scenes. Small folio (22.5 x 34 cm), 44 sheets of laid paper, mounted and sewn in late 18th- or 19th-century marbled paper covers. Heterogeneous and highly decorative set of figures, mostly taken from engravings often colored in watercolor, carefully cut and pasted: religious scenes and piety (processions, sacraments), mythological and allegorical compositions (including Bacchus and antique figures), exotic subjects (Voyage aux Indes, voyages, Robinsonnade), Baroque-style floral and animal ornaments, ornithology, deer, carriages, picturesque costumes and popular sketches. There are references to novels and moral scenes, such as Paul et Virginie, as well as a series of vignettes from the Histoire de la Poupée Brillantine, "white as milk and pink as strawberries", a figure from children's folklore and illustrated peddler's tales, archetypal of the moralizing or fantastic imagery of the second half of the XIXᵉ century. Some compositions in the "Basset" style, typical of Épinal images and peddler sheets intended for children, instruction or domestic decoration. The album presents a rare and abundant example of this popular imagery, which served as much as a teaching aid as a decorative element. Very decorative and visually appealing. Scattered small stains, one engraving detached on ff. 36, cover slightly rubbed.