L'Idee fixe. Par l'auteur des Aventures de la Fille d'un Roi by [Simier, binder]. Vatout, Jean (1791-1848) - 1830

Paris: Chez Dupont, libraire, 1830. First Edition. 8vo. [4], 218 pp. Contemporary Parisian binding by Rene Simier: brown calf elaborately gilt with large plaques and small tools, discretely inlaid in red and black, smooth spine similarly gilt, brown moire endpapers, turn-ins gilt, a.e.g. Some foxing, traces of damp at end. Large flowing gift inscription opposite title-page. Binding with minor wear, which does not detract from its beauty and interest. An exuberantly decorated French Romantic bookbinding by Rene Simier (1772-1843) who -- with Joseph Thouvenin -- popularized the genre, and in certain respects brought the art of French bookbinding to its apogee. In his long and distinguished career Simier was appointed binders to Empress Marie-Louise, Louis XVIII, Marie-Caroline de Bourbon-Sicily (subsequently Duchesse de Berry). According to Ramsden ("French Bookbinders 1789-1848") Simier's "variety and technique were superb; he had no superior and few rivals during his career." The large and highly elaborate central lozenge on our binding has been reproduced in Roch de Coligny's highly informative sale catalogue "Les relieurs des rois de France: L'atelier Simier" (vente Lafon - Castandet - Drouot, 6/2/10) namely no. 107 "Plaque de milieu à décor romantique." Coligny locates a number of other reproductions of this impressive plaque, namely: Beraldi I, opp. 94; Bernard, La reliure en Belgique aux XIXeme et XXeme siecles, p. 62; Cent reliures de la reserve precieuse no. 74. The vibrant cornucopia on our binding is reproduced on both pp. 61 and 254 of the bespoke catalogue, on a citron morocco binding for Marie-Caroline. Our binding is signed at the foot of the spine "Simier R[elieur] du Roi" as commonly. On the verso of the front endleaf is a partial ticket which if perfectly intact would read: Simier, Relieur du Roi, Rue St Honore, a Paris." LITERATURE: Didier Travier, "Les Simier, relieurs du roi et propriétaires sarthois" in: Revue historique et archéologique du Maine, 2003, p. 121-163. -- Paul Culot et Denise Rouger, "Louis Médard et les relieurs de son temps. Gustave Durville, Gout fils et François-Noël Jaujon de Montpellier et leurs confrères de Paris" (Lunel: Bibliothèque municipale de Lunel, 2003). -- Elizabeth Mismes, "L'atelier Simier: un patrimoine unique" in: Arts & Métiers du Livre, 2007, no 260, pp. 48-55.