Les fleurs animees. Par J.J. Grandville. Texte par Alph. Karr, Taxile Delord et le Cte. Foeulix. Nouvelle edition avec planches tres soigneusement retouches pour la gravure et le coloris par M. Maubert, peintre d'histoire naturelle attaché au Jardin des Plantes by Grandville, J.J. [illustrator]. Delord, Taxile - [n.d., 1867]

Paris; Garnier Freres, [n.d., 1867] New edition. Contemporary red morocco over red cloth boards. Gilt spine, all edges gilt. . Two volumes, large octavo. Two hand-colored wood-engraved titles and fifty hand-colored wood-engraved plates, two uncolored plates. Decorative woodcut initials and tailpieces throughout. Binding extremities lightly rubbed, tear at head of spine of Vo. 2 neatly repaired. Some light foxing at beginning and end of each volume. A very good, clean set. Though the images in the book are of Grandville's time, his manner of proceeding is that of an artist of the modern movement, exploring the same subject through a sequence of slight but significant variations. Most of the plates show an elegant lady accompanied by respectful creatures, animals and insects, even fish and reptiles. As the series nears its end there are more elaborate scenes of flower-ladies in groups. A little world is created, governed by its own laws, which was full of significance to Grandville and hence becomes so to the reader as well. his first biographer wrote in the preface to Les étoiles (pp. viii-ix): 'The Fleurs animées are the very thought of Grandville; they were his favorite work, the work into the execution of which he put all that was in him of poetic and gracious originality, of dexterity of mind and observation, of that prodigious perspicacity which made him divine affinities hitherto unperceived by anyone and discover new worlds'" (Ray, The Art of the French Illustrated Book, 198.