History of Dancing First Edition - Gaston Vuillier - Bauman Rare Books

History of Dancing

Gaston VUILLIER

Item#: 86902 We're sorry, this item has been sold

History of Dancing

History of Dancing

VUILLIER’S HISTORY OF DANCING, LAVISHLY ILLUSTRATED WITH PLATES AFTER SARGENT, WHISTLER, AND OTHERS

VUILLIER, Gaston. History of Dancing From the Earliest Ages to Our Own Times. From the French of Gaston Vuillier. London: William Heinemann, 1898. Small folio, original gilt-stamped gray cloth.

First English edition of this history of dance from ancient times to the 19th century, with 20 full-page engravings, including frontispiece illustration, after works by Clouet, Seargent, Whistler, Watteau, Cruikshank, and others, as well as over 400 in-text illustrations.

This comprehensive study surveys the history of dancing from ancient times through the 19th century, including sacred and religious dances, ballet, the court dances of French monarchs Louis XIV through Louis XVI, “rustic dances,” Spanish dances, balls, and dances specific to England, Scotland, and Ireland. Preceded in the same year by the French edition (titled La Danse) and a limited deluxe English edition in two volumes with an additional three engravings and a portfolio of mounted engravings; an American edition was also issued in 1898. Armorial bookplate of Sir Richard Powell Cooper, a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and High Sheriff of Staffordshire; he was awarded a baronetcy by Edward VII in 1905.

Occasional light foxing; Light rubbing to rear board, gilt bright. A beautiful copy.

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Aquatint Copperplate process by which the plate is “bitten” by exposure to acid. By changing the areas of the plate that are exposed and the length of time the plate is submerged in the acid bath, the engraver can obtain fine and varying shades of gray that closely resemble watercolor washes. Although the name contains the word “tint”, this is a black-and-white printing process; aquatint plates can often be hand colored, however.
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