Rare colored illustrations

Contes à ma Fille by J. N. Bouilly, Cinquième Édition, adopted for the Maison Impériale d’Écouen, with new engravings, Paris, Chez Rosa, Libraire Grande Cour du Palais Royal, 1814.

Contes à ma Fille is a collection of moral tales written by Jean-Nicolas Bouilly, first published in 1809. The fifth edition, released in 1814, was adopted for the Maison Impériale d’Écouen and featured new engravings. Bouilly, a French writer and dramatist, was renowned for his contributions to children’s literature and his involvement in the theatrical arts.Notably, he authored the libretto for Léonore, ou l’Amour conjugal, which inspired Beethoven’s opera Fidelio.

Hand-colored copies of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly’s Contes à ma Fille are rare, but some have been documented. For instance, a finely illustrated and hand-colored edition is mentioned in The Children’s World of Learning, 1480-1880, highlighting the book’s significance in moral children’s literature.

The Maison Impériale d’Écouen served as a boarding school for girls, primarily those from families of officers, soldiers, and other individuals who had distinguished themselves in service to France. It was designed to provide them with a high-quality education, instilling values of patriotism, discipline, and refinement in line with Napoleonic ideals.