French Book-plates Part 40

La Comtesse de Mellet, two, one after Bouchardon, the other signed: _Le D._

Montigny--two, a large and a small one.

Mignot de Montigny--after Pierre.

Le Comte Thiroux de Gervillier--after Gravelot.

Thiroux d'Arconville--after Gravelot.

Madame d'Arconville--after C. Eisen.

(This, signed in full, _Louise Le Daulceur sculp. et inv._ is reproduced on p. 218, "Ladies' Book-plates.")

Madame Du Tailly.

Madame d'Alleray--after Durand.

There is also a delicate little plate of Mademoiselle d'Alleray, with the arms on a lozenge supported by a wild rosebush, which has been attributed to Louise Le Daulceur, but it is not signed. The original plate is in the possession of Dr.

Bouland, President of the French Society, and impressions from it were issued with the "Archives de la Societe Francaise," in June, 1894.

LE DUC, VIOLLET. 19th cent.

LE FeRON, _a Rennes_, 1767.

LEFeVRE. 19th cent.

L. LE GRAND _sculp._ 18th cent.

Nameless armorial plate, for Madame Du Barry. Motto, "_Boutez en avant_."

This plate was engraved by Le Grand after a design by Cochin fils some time before 1774. It has two s.h.i.+elds and supporters, and what is somewhat unusual in French book-plates, there is a crest above the coronet.

Poulet-Mala.s.sis is of opinion that this plate was little used by Madame Du Barry, whose books, handsomely bound in red morocco, bore her arms stamped in gold on the sides. Louis XV.

remarked, "La Marquise de Pompadour avait plus de livres que la comtesse, mais ils n'etaient pas si bien relies, ni si bien choisis."

LEGROS, ALPHONSE. 19th cent.

About 1874, this artist (who then resided in London) engraved the copper for the well-known _Ex libris Leon Gambetta_, of which only a few impressions were taken, and these were never employed as book-plates.

Forgeries exist, and have been sold by the dealers in large numbers.

The original plates may be known by a small circle on the bottom left-hand corner of the design in which are the letters A.B. See "Archives de la Societe Francaise,"

April, 1895, with which was issued an impression from the original copper.

LEGUAY, EUGeNE. Modern.

Ex Libris Eugene Leguay.

Reproduced in "Ex-Libris Ana."

LEJEUNE. 18th cent.

LE KEUX, J. H. Mr. Le Keux, although of French Huguenot descent worked in England all his life, and died in Durham on February 4, 1896. He is best known from his engravings for the architectural works by Pugin, Ruskin, Wright and others.

He did a handsome seal book-plate for himself, and others for English owners; indeed, his name is only included here because its French appearance might mislead an inexperienced collector.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BOOK-PLATE OF J. H. LE KEUX.]

E. libris Juliane Boyd. 1877.

Edward Arthur White, F.S.A.

1878. Seal.

LELOIR. Modern.

M. Maurice Faulque de Jonquieres.

Fantaisie.

LEMAIRE _sculp._ 18th cent.

Ex libris Caroli Ludovici Alexandri de Beauffort, Marchionis de Beauffort et de Mondicourt. Armorial.

See "Archives de la Societe Francaise," vol. i., p. 140.

LEMAITRE, 1772.

LE Ma.s.sON, ANTOINE. 17th cent.

N. LE MIRE _inv. et sculp._

On the allegorical ex-libris of the author, J. B. Descamps.

Ex libris J. J. Isambert, 1746.

Armorial; pictorial.

He also engraved the elaborate nameless plate of M. de Montaynard, designed by Ch. Eisen. This design was afterwards appropriated for the book-plate of M. de Noyel. (See Poulet-Mala.s.sis, pp. 28, 31.)

"N. Le Mire _sculp._ 1777" on a plate designed by J. Moreau for the Marquis de Rognes.

(See Moreau.)

LE ROUX, J. 1704.

Nicolas Remy Frizon de Blamont, President au Parlement.

Signed "J. Le Roux f. a Paris le 14 aost 1704."

M. Frizon de Blamont had another plate dated 1694.

(See "Les Bibliophiles Remois,"

p. 66.)

J. LE ROY _fecit_ 1782.

Des Livres de Mr. Dubut Cure de Viroflay, etc.