Les Cent Nouvelles.

from the publisher's collection - original drawings for the work by three artists.

Les Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles is a collection of stories from the court of Phillipe le Bon in the mid fifteenth-century. The stories, as the title suggests were long attributed to Louis XI but their exact authorship is unknown. The stories were aimed to amuse the King whilst he was estranged from his father, King Charles VII of France and were presented to the Duke of Burgundy at Dijon in 1462. The licentious tales are centred around the scandals of society rather than the chivalrous acts of knights and provide an insight into the reality of fifteenth-century court life.

This is a wonderfully illustrated edition with original compositions from three different artists, Edmond Mallasis, Manuel Orazi and Carlo Farnetti. Edmond Mallasis (1874-1940) was a notable illustrator, painter and student of the painter Gustave Moreau. His style differs greatly that of Manuel Orazi who designed Art Nouveau posters.

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