1885 French Architectural Portfolio – Modèles de Bois et Marbres – 29 Large Colour Lithographic Plates – Journal Manuel de Peintures – Paris

This is an original 1885 French architectural portfolio that contains a collection of large colour lithographic plates illustrating decorative woods, ornamental marbles and architectural panel designs intended for use by architects, cabinetmakers, decorators, ornamental painters and interior designers.

Published in Paris under the title:

Extrait des Vingt Premières Années du Journal Manuel de Peintures – Modèles de Bois et Marbres (Excerpts from the first Twenty Years of the Manual Journal of Paintings - Models of Wood and Marbles)

the portfolio was issued by:

Librairie Centrale d'Architecture
Des Fossez & Cie., Libraires-Éditeurs
13 Rue Bonaparte, Paris
1885

Rather than being a conventional art book, this was a professional reference portfolio produced for the architectural and decorative arts trades. The beautifully printed colour lithographic plates reproduce an impressive variety of figured woods, decorative veneers, ornamental marbles and stone patterns, many arranged as complete cabinet panels, wall panels and architectural compositions. Each plate is identified with the name of the wood species, marble or decorative stone represented.

As stated on the cover, the portfolio was issued as an extract from the first twenty years of the Journal Manuel de Peintures, a respected French professional periodical devoted to decorative painting and architectural finishes. Rather than being newly created for this edition, the plates were selected from earlier issues of the journal. Accordingly, they retain differing journal-year headings, Roman and Arabic plate numbers, printer credits and paper stocks, all of which are consistent with their origin as selected examples from the journal's earlier publications.

The publisher states that the portfolio originally contained 30 colour plates. This example retains 29 plates, including one illustration printed on the reverse of the title page. One plate is therefore absent.

The plates are exceptionally decorative, illustrating a wide variety of ornamental marbles—including Portor, Porphyry, Malachite, Breccia and Vert Campan—along with richly figured woods and veneered panel designs suitable for furniture, architectural interiors and decorative painting. Printed in vibrant colour using late nineteenth-century French chromolithographic techniques, they remain highly suitable for study, display or framing.

Today the portfolio represents a fascinating survival from the golden age of French decorative design and will appeal to collectors of nineteenth-century architecture, architectural ornament, decorative painting, faux bois, faux marbre, cabinetmaking, interior design, chromolithography and French decorative arts.

Measurements

Each plate measures approximately:

12½ inches × 18⅛ inches

Condition

Good condition overall.

The original portfolio cover is present but detached along the spine. The title page has tears and age-related wear. One plate has a small loss to the upper right corner margin that does not affect the printed image. The publisher's title page calls for thirty colour plates; this example contains twenty-nine, including one illustration printed on the reverse of the title page. The majority of the plates remain clean and well preserved with rich colour, showing only light age-related toning and handling wear consistent with a professional architectural reference portfolio of this age. The covers have discolouration and soiling.  Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form part of the description.