Description

FIRST EDITION.

ONE OF THE FIRST 50 NUMBERED COPIES about Japan
(followed by 200 illustrated copies on vergé des Marais).

Publisher's copy with this autograph signed letter  :

"To my dear friend Calmann Levy
fond memory
Ludovic Halevy

Considered one of the author's best texts, The Cardinale Family symbol of the pompous, pedantic and nasty Parisian petty bourgeoisie, marked the end of the 19th century. So much so that in 1898, Jean Jaurès, in the Evidence - Dreyfus casedescribes the general staff as having been ".the Mister Cardinal of forgery".
The text was reprinted until 1946, and Degas even illustrated an edition that was not published until 1938.

This copy contains an etching printed on Japon in the format of the book. Les Petites Cardinale by E. Abot after E. Mas.

Beautiful provenance.