Honoré de BALZAC. OEuvres complètes. Paris, Furne, J.-J. Dub - Lot 83

Honoré de BALZAC. OEuvres complètes. Paris, Furne, J.-J. Dubochet et Cie, J. Hetzel et Paulin, then Alexandre Houssiaux, 1842-1855. 20 volumes in-8, red half-calf, spine with 4 nerves decorated with straight and dotted gilt fillets, a repeated cold fleuron and a lace at foot (Period binding). Vicaire, I-239 /// I. 1842. 32-XVI-33 to 507-(2f.), 9 pl. / II. 1842. (3f.)-457-(1f.), 8 pl. / III. 1842. (3f.)-476-(1f.), 8 pl. / IV. 1845. (3f.)-557-(1f.), 8 pl. / V. 1843. (3f.)-492-(1f.), 8 pl. / VI. 1843. (3f.)-509-(1f.), 8 pl. / VII. 1844. (3f.)-491-(1f.), 8 pl. / VIII. 1843. (3f.)-570-(1f.), 8 pl. / IX. 1843. (3f.)-531, 8 pl. / X. 1844. (3f.)-449-(1f.), 8 pl. / XI. 1844 (3f.)-588-(1f.), 8 pl. / XII. 1846 (3f.)-531, 6 pl. / XIII. 1845 (3f.)-728-(1f.) / XIV. 1845 (3f.)-476-(1f.), 10 pl. / XV. 1845. (3f.)-662-(1f.), 6 pl. / XVI. 1846. (3f.)-620-(1f.), 6 pl. / XVII. 1849. (2f.)-650-(1f.), 5 pl. / XVIII. 1855. (2f.)-659, 16 pl. / XIX. 1855. (2f.)-423, 4 pl. / XX. 1855. (2f.)-440, 5 pl. First collective edition under the title OEuvres and La Comédie humaine. It was published by Furne, Dubochet and Hetzel from 1842 in 17 volumes, then reprinted verbatim in 1855 by Alexandre Houssiaux, who added the last three volumes. In addition to many of the original texts, this capital edition presents the definitive form of each text, reworked one last time by Balzac. It is illustrated with a portrait of Balzac by Bertall engraved by Lemoine and 146 (of 152) plates hors texte engraved by Brevière, Godard, Tamissier, etc. after Bertall, Daumier, Nanteuil, Johannot, Monnier, etc. First edition, except for volume XVII, which is published by Furne alone with the date 1849 instead of 1848. The portrait of Balzac and the note on George Sand, added by Houssiaux, are bound in the first volume. As is often the case with copies bound strictly in the period, the 6 plates of volume XIII, which were delivered with volume XX, and the placement sheets for the engravings are missing. Some minor rubbing to bindings. Without the blank leaves mentioned by Vicaire for volumes III, IV, V, VI and VII. A few light brown spots, small hole in the table leaves of volumes III and XIII and tiny ink stain on one leaf of volume VII and 2 leaves of volume XIII. A very fine copy in a fine contemporary half-calf binding, from the library of Jean Lanssade (November 26, 1993, no. 8).