VOLTAIRE, M. de (Francois-Marie Arouet) (1694-1778). Romans et contes de… Bouillon: Société Typographique, 1778.
3 volumes, 8vo (216 x 126 mm). Half-titles, engraved title vignettes, 58 engraved plates including frontispieces, mostly after Charles Monnet, engraved head-pieces, woodcut tail-pieces (frontispiece in vol. 1 dampstained at top margin, few leaves browned, some offsetting, else fine). Full contemporary mottled calf, alternating gilt-tooled border, spines gilt-tooled into 7 compartments, red leather lettering-pieces in 2, gilt-centerpieces in others, edges gilt, dentelles (discreetly rebacked preserving original spines and endpapers, some wear at ends).
FIRST EDITION MENTIONED BY COHEN AND DE RICCI. A beautifully illustrated work including the plate facing p. 122 in vol. 2 (dated 1777) depicting the flight from the monkeys in Candide in the “decouverte” state, showing the two young women naked. This work is considered to be Voltaire’s “most attractive book, Monnet… demonstrated his mastery of erotic subjects” (The Art of the French Illustrated Book 7). Brunet V:17235; Cohen and de Ricci, pp. 1038-39.