logo-xls

French Decorative Bookbinding - Eighteenth Century

René-François Fétil


click to enlarge
(click on this image to see an enlargement)



click to enlarge



The reproduction of the sumptuous binding shown above is found in the British Library Database of Bookbinding (click here to see it). I have often wondered who might have been the author of this Royal binding, and noticed a few other bindings that appeared to share common tools. Now I have found a possible link to these bindings it comes from Barber's catalogue of tools, found in his book The James A. de Rothschild Bequest at Waddesdon Manor. Printed Books and Bookbindings, Giles Barber 2013.




cmpt


Comparative Diagram 1 - Barber's DCT 16 vs Davis565 imprint.

In Comparative Diagram 1, I show Barber's DCT 16 compared with an imprint from the Davis565, there are many small details that lead me to think that these two imprints are the same, deriving from the same tool and if we are lucky that tool belonged to René-François Fétil, Barber states that Fétil's ticket is found inside this binding. Below I show part of Leon Gruel's page where he has mentioned Fetil as well as reproduced a copy of his ticket (etiquette). Gruel was not impressed with the work of Fétil, however Fétil appears to have anyway reached the top of the ladder with a number of Royal bindings in his showcase.



click to enlarge


(click on this image to see an enlargement)



click to enlarge


(click on this image to see an enlargement)



I show above a catalogue entry from the Bibliotheque national de France, it was hard to find but its there, the BnF does not list him in their list of binders, so you will not find a binding by Fetil in the BnF unless by accident. A search of the internet does not turn up any bindings by Fétil, if you search for his name or his etiquette, however it is possible to find bindings that were obviously made by the same person who made Davis565. First we need to extract a few more important imprints from this binding to be able to compare them with those of other bindings, the first most obvious is one that Barber has identified as DCR 28. Shown below this imprint is very close to the Davis565 example, these imprints appear to be copies of Lemonnier's tool of this shape, however there are significant differences that separate these tools and as such they are easily distinguished one from another.



click to enlarge


Comparative Diagram 2 - Davis565 imprint vs Lemonnier.

(click on this image to see an enlargement)





click to enlarge


(click on this image to see an enlargement)





Now when we extract the next most obvious characteristic imprint (shown below) and then search for it in Barber's catalogue of tools we have an "ah ha" moment here is another Fétil tool, DCT 38, Barber's illustration of this is obviously two tools linked together, we see in the details of this imprint an open space in the supports which is mirrored in the Davis565 examples, as shown by the green arrows in Comparative Diagram 3, and the yellow arrows indicating that this part is not attached as can be seen in all the Davis565 examples.



click to enlarge


(click on this image to see an enlargement)





click to enlarge


(click on this image to see an enlargement)





cmpt


Comparative Diagram 3 - Davis565 imprint vs Barber's DCT 38 type model



Now we are on a lucky roll as there are only a few important imprints left to check and sure enough they are also found in Barber's catalogue and designated as coming from a signed Fétil. The FR 16 fronds match the Davis565 examples. This then confirms that Davis565 was in all probability, made by René-François Fétil. This is really a great discovery as we can now add a number of bindings that share these same tools as well as revealing even more tools that will help us identify more Fétil bindings.



click to enlarge


Comparative Diagram 4 - Davis565 imprints vs Barber's FR 16 pair.

(click on this image to see an enlargement)




click to enlarge

(click on this image to see an enlargement)




click here to see the next page...




click here to see an INDEX of the René-François Fétil pages




click here to return to the HOME page.




click here to see an INDEX of the 2017 pages.

see below links to previous work






Atelier I B 31/10/2014





Icons of the Renaissance 06/02/2014





Atelier au trefle 22/12/2014




Atelier Royal 1518 - 1524 09/11/2014





Unraveling G. D. Hobson's book on fanfares 27/11/2014





16c fanfare on eBay 23/11/2014




another Padeloup binding on eBay 07/12/2014


the last Padeloup fanfare?


Rare Padeloup binding on eBay 15/11/2014



Pierre-Paul Dubuisson's work attributed to Derone le jeune 23/10/2014 (unfinished work now finished)


Pierre-Paul Dubuisson's work attributed to Douceur 22/10/2014 (an under contruction page finished at last)


Louis-Marie Michon - the 1956 Disaster 19/10/2014 (an unfinished page finished at last)


Louis XII Dolphins motif 03/02/2014


Aristophanes Binder 1543 02/02/2014


Atelier des reliures LOUIS XII - Atlas Catalan 12/01/2014


Atelier des reliures LOUIS XII - FRANÇOIS Ier - Linacre bindings 05/01/2014


Atelier des reliures LOUIS XII - FRANÇOIS Ier c. 1500-1520


Atelier des reliures LOUIS XII - FRANÇOIS Ier - Chronology 16/01/2014


Atelier des reliures LOUIS XII - FRANÇOIS Ier - Inventory - binding No. 29 19/01/2014


Atelier des reliures LOUIS XII - FRANÇOIS Ier - Inventory - binding No. 39 19/01/2014


Atelier des reliures LOUIS XII - FRANÇOIS Ier - The mysterious disappearance of François Tissard d'Amboise 23/01/2014


Atelier des reliures LOUIS XII - FRANÇOIS Ier - The Simon Vostre fiasco 18/01/2014


L'Atelier Simon Vostre 1486-1521 01/01/2014


L'Atelier de Pierre Roffet 1511-1533 - TOOL CATALOGUE 26/01/2014


L'Atelier de Pierre Roffet 1511-1533 27/12/2013


Pierre Roffet - fleur-de-lis binder 28/12/2013


Fleur-de-lis Binder 1525-1540 27/11/2013


Du Saix Master 02/12/2013


Atelier Étienne Roffet 1538-1549 12/12/2013


Atelier Jean Picard 1538-1547


Imitative Binder c.1540 15/12/2013


Salel Binder 1540 17/11/2013


Atelier Ruette 1606-1669 INVENTORY


Atelier Macé Ruette 1606-1644


Atelier du Maitre Doreur 1622-1638


Atelier Antoine Ruette 1638-1669


Atelier des Caumartin 1652-1715


Atelier de Charenton 1670-1685


Atelier Luc-Antoine Boyet 1685-1733


Atelier Antoine-Michel Padeloup. dit Le Jeune 1685-1758


Atelier Louis Douceur 1721-1769


Atelier Pierre-Paul Dubuisson 1746-1762


Atelier Nicolas-Denis Derome, dit Derome le Jeune 1761-1788


Atelier Jean-Pierre Jubert, 1771-1793?


Atelier MM binder, 1770-179-?





A word of Caution

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.

Virtual Bookings, created by L. A. Miller return to the Home page of VIRTUAL BOOKBINDINGS

l.a.miller@mail.pf