ERAGNY PRESS. FLAUBERT, Gustave. ~ Un Coeur Simple.
Wood engraved frontispiece (Girl and Cow), border and initials designed by Lucien Pissarro and engraved by Lucien and Esther Pissarro. One of 226 copies printed in Vale type on Arnold's handmade paper with Vale Press watermark. 12mo., original linen backed blue paper covered boards with printed paper label on upper cover. Very mild browning to free endpapers as usual, a little darkening to edges of boards and bumping to corners but generally a very good, fresh copy. Housed in a later paper covered solander box with a handwritten paper label on the spine.
Inscribed to Alfred Isaacson from the Pissarros on the front free endpaper. Isaacson was a cousin of Lucien being the son of Emma, Camille’s half-sister. Alfred lived in Norwood in London, his parents had moved there in 1865, and was close to Lucien throughout their lives being only 2 years older than his cousin. Coincidentally it was as a child in Norwood that Alfred met and became close to Esther Bensusan, later Lucien’s wife.
Lucien appeared to have enjoyed the pastoral subject adapting an earlier drawing to represent the simple peasant girl of the story in the elaborate frontispiece. 'Un Coeur Simple' is one of three short stories by Flaubert published under the title 'Trois Contes' in 1877. The other two were also printed by the Eragny Press.