| The binding and description shown above are from a 2013 publication by Gillies Barber The James A. de Rothschild Bequest at Waddesdon Manor. Printed Books and Bookbindings. Below I show the titlepage with ticket and an enlargement of Padeloup's ticket. |
| In Comparative Diagram 1 we see something rather strange Barber has referenced two bindings that he associates with his FL 103 type model, W.Cat.299 and W.Cat423. When we place the imprints from these two bindings together, it appears as though these imprints are not exactly the same. It may be that the tool for type model has been damaged squashing the upper petals somewhat other wise this is a mysterious puzzle. That is further complicated by the fact that the W.Cat.423 binding was executed by Pierre Delorme (see this) probably some time after 1763. |
| In Comparative Diagram 3, we compare Pierre-Paul Dubuisson's 1752 decoration with that of Derome le jeune, which according to Mirjam Foot dates to 1761. Do any of you find this disturbing? What is going on here? The famous Derome could not think of anything more original than copying Dubuisson's work of more than 10 years in the past. (I suspect that Mirjam is a bit off here on the date due to the pallet used by Derome, this could easily be much later). |
| In Comparative Diagram 4 and 5 we see Barber's ROLL 74, I have reviewed this tool on many occasions where it can be proven to be one of the Dubusson's favorite tools along with ROLL 81 that is simply a larger version of the same thing. We see these roulettes in the framing decoration of the Collombat Semaine Sainte plaque bindings. These same roulettes were employed later by Pierre Delorme. (see this) |
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In Comparative Diagram 6, I have presented the pallet from W.Cat.299 as an example of the pallet PAL 92. Barber does not mention this pallet in his description of W.Cat.299. This omission, I find rather odd, perhaps this small/short example of this pallet was not convincing enough to merit being mentioned? It certainly has the appearance of PAL 92, but more convincing is the fact that it is also found on W.Cat.305 and w.Cat.774 both of which can be shown to have been decorated by Dubuisson. The sum total of these W.Cat.299 imprints then, leads us to the obvious conclusion that Dubuisson did indeed decorate this binding that is signed with a Padeloup ticket. Below we will look at W.Cat.774 as it is linked W.Cat.299. This binding is but one of many large bindings of this type that have been attributed to Padeloup and yet show evident signs of Dubuisson decoration. Barber does not hesitate to attribute this work to Padeloup, never the less it is adorned with some very obvious Dubuisson tools, and in fact I suspect that the plaque (Barber FE 4) also derives from the Dubuisson workshops. Barber gives a long description of the plaques and the little that is actually known about them, I am going to paste below what he has said, and leave it up to the reader to decide. The facts seem to verify that the plaques were the speciality of the Dubuissons and that they often decorated large bindings for Padeloup… why then attribute the decoration to Padeloup? |
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The text shown above is from Barber's 2013 publication Printed Books and Bookbindings Volume 1, pg 319-320, he is speaking of the plaques such as the ones found on W.Cat.774 and also the full board plaques often used to decorate the Almanach Royals. In my mind these plaques revolutionized the dentelles of mid 18th century France, not simply because they introduced mechanization to the industry, but mainly because of their exotic and luxurious compositions, the designs of these plaques obviously derive from the mind of an artistic genius. They shaped the tools and designs of dentelles for the next half a century, they were in fact, ahead of their times and shaped the future of dentelle artistry.
Barber seems not impressed, he refers to them as 'inventions', things that he has not taken very seriously. suggesting that the Almanach Royal plaques first appeared in 1744, when in fact examples can be seen as early as 1741 (see this). Barber obviously did not know anything of Pierre Delorme, Dubuisson's successor, Delorme continued to decorate the Almanachs with the plaques and kept the plaques in circulation long after the death of Pierre-Paul Dubuuisson. However this was but a small part of Delorme's contribution to the art of decorative bookbinding, a contribution that remains largely unknown today, but one that will eventually emerge and overturn the ill founded theories of the last century. (selected Delorme bindings) |
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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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