SAUVAGE, Sylvain. CASANOVA, Giacomo. ~ Une Aventure de Casanova. Histoire complète de ses amours avec la belle C.C. et la religieuse de Muran.
2 volumes. No. 371 of 450 printed on papier vergé d’Arches, but this a rare hand-coloured copy. 33 engravings by Sylvain Sauvage, engraved in collaboration with Emile-Henri Feltesse, including an engraving on each wrapper, all expertly hand-coloured in gouache. Tall thin 8vo., loose in the original wrappers, each volume with its own maroon cloth backed chemise and both in the matching maroon cloth edged slipcase. Slipcase and chemises with a little wear or rubbing at edges, a little darkening to the wrappers but otherwise very good.
Sylvain Sauvage (1888-1948), whose real name was Felix Roy, was an illustrator and engraver who published his own artist’s books with the imprint of his home in Paris as well as creating illustrations for other publishers. Sauvage had originally intended to produce illustrations to the whole of the memoirs of Casanova but the task was too great so he settled on the erotic story of Casanova and the Nun of Murano - hence it being a singular adventure.
His first version was a large paper edition of 75 copies being a portfolio of 20 full page plates and 13 smaller ones which was published in 1920 and quickly sold. In 1924 he produced another portfolio containing 50 watercolours illustrating Casanova’s memoirs. Eventually in 1926 this two volume edition, as the first in ‘La rose mal defendue’ [The Poorly Protected Rose] series.
The illustrations included all the original plates in their black and white version. A very few hand-coloured copies exist, as here, thought to have been coloured by Sauvage for special clients. These have certainly been done by a professional, sensitive hand.