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The reproduction shown above is from Barber's 2013 catalogue, Volume II, he gives a brief description of this binding W.Cat.421 however we see that he is clinging now to the idea that this is another binding by Derome le jeune on the basis's of his first mistake in attributing W.Cat.454 to Derome because his ticket is inside. We have shown that this binding was decorated by Gosselin and the matching imprints on this W.Cat.421 derive from the same tools. Barber refers specifically to the billing birds imprint CBB 10, we see this same imprint decorating the spines of 128 that we show on page 3. The important thing in all of this is that Barber has catalogued most of the tools from these bindings so it is a simple matter to gather together the collection of Gosselin tools within Barber's tool catalogue. |
| In Comparative Diagram 1, I show an enlarged corner detail with the various cataloged items from Barber 2013, as well as my own Gosselin type models. There are in this corner detail, imprints that I have catalogued previously and that were not catalogued by Barber, such as gos-34a and 34b. And some that were catalogued by Barber that I have not previously catalogued. Then there are those that neither of us catalogued these I show in Comparative Diagram 2. |
| In Comparative Diagram 2, I show imprints that are not found in Barber's catalogue even though he catalogued most of the imprints, gos 81 may be an imprint that he has called FL 91 (shown in Comparative Diagram 1) however these two imprints seem not exactly the same. I have not tried to show all the imprints found on this W.Cat.421 binding however I want to point out that Barber has said that this binding is c.1785 without explaining how he came to that conclusion. I noticed the palette used on the spine is the same as that found on the binding shown on the first page of this 1785 series of pages, and this palette seems to be from the next phase of French decorative bookbinding. |
| In Comparative Diagram 3, we see that the W.Cat.421 palette is the same as the 1785 palette shown on page one This palette is not found in Barber's catalogue, not as a palette and not as a roulette, I have checked this a few times, there is only one roulette that is similar, but it is one that is typical for the late 1780 and 1790 period and beyond where elaborate dentelles become politically incorrect and tidy and trim roulettes take over with their intricate and finely detailed, neo-classical plaines. Thus this palette/roulette is a sign of things to come and a sign of a later binding i.e.1785. This too suggests that these pointille bindings by Gosselin are from this period. |
| We see in Comparative Diagram 5, that Barber gives a reference to W.Cat.401 as also sharing this imprint. On the next page we will look at this binding, it is another Gosselin example that Barber has thoroughly catalogued. |
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| Even experts are sometimes wrong, before you spend thousands on a book, please do your own research! Just because I say a certain binding can be attributed to le Maitre isn't any kind of guarantee, don't take my word for it, go a step further and get your own proof. In these pages I have provided you with a way of doing just that. |
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