A Monumental 19th-century Achievement
Excerpt from the book 'Auguste Racinet's Le Costume historique'.
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His expertise in artistic reproduction naturally led Racinet to teaching and participation in scholarly works: collections, dictionaries, and manuals of architecture and interior decoration. In collaborating on the plates of a work by the painter Ferdinand Séré and the man of letters Charles Louandre - its projected title was Histoire du Costume et de l'Ameublement au Moyen-Âge (A History of Costume and Furniture in the Middle Ages) - he was, it seems, simply following in his father's footsteps. As a result of Séré's unexpected death, the lithographer, bookseller, and publisher Hangard-Maugé returned to the project somewhat later, when he drew on Séré's work for the four volumes of Arts Somptuaires, Histoire du costume et de l'ameublement et des arts et industries qui s'y rattachent (Sumptuary Arts, History of Costume and Furniture and the Arts and Industries therewith connected) published in 1857-1858. He did so with the assistance of a painter "expert in archeological studies", Claudius Ciappori.
Part of Séré's project had, however, been published as early as 1847-1851 by the famous Paul Lacroix (known as "Bibliophile Jacob"), in the volume Le Moyen Âge et La Renaissance, histoire et description des moeurs et des usages, du commerce et de l'industrie, des sciences, des arts, des littératures et des beaux-arts en Europe (The Middle Ages and the Renaissance, A History and Description of Mores and Customs, Commerce and Industry, Art, Literature and the Fine Arts in Europe). This was an official State publication, and Lacroix followed it in 1852 with ten volumes of Costumes Historiques de la France d'après les monuments les plus authentiques... précédé de l'histoire de la vie privée des français depuis l'origine de la monarchie jusqu'à nos jours (Historic Costumes of France according to the most Authentic Monuments, preceded by the History of the Private Lives of the French from the Origin of the Monarchy to the Present Day). The names of the Racinets senior and junior appear on certain plates of both of these works, signed "Séré and Racinet del. and lith." or "Racinet Snr. Del.". In the distribution of labor, the Racinets, had, it seems, been principally assigned the didactic plates.
The young Auguste Racinet's participation in works of this kind marked the starting point of his career in scholarly art publishing. This career is summarized in the administrative dossier compiled when he was named a Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur on 5 August 1878, at which time the publication of his Costume Historique (Costume History) was already "in progress". The report reminds us that Racinet, "draughtsman and publicist", was not merely the author of Ornement Polychrome (Polychrome Ornament), translated into English and German, but artistic director of various sets of engravings, such as La Céramique japonaise (Japanese Ceramics), a color publication in English and French, La Collection archaéologique du Prince Saltykoff (The Archeological Collection of Prince Saltykoff), Le XVIIIe siècle (The 18th Century) by Paul Lacroix, and L'Iconographie de la Sainte Vierge (The Iconography of the Holy Virgin) by Abbé Meynard.
Page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
Page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
His expertise in artistic reproduction naturally led Racinet to teaching and participation in scholarly works: collections, dictionaries, and manuals of architecture and interior decoration. In collaborating on the plates of a work by the painter Ferdinand Séré and the man of letters Charles Louandre - its projected title was Histoire du Costume et de l'Ameublement au Moyen-Âge (A History of Costume and Furniture in the Middle Ages) - he was, it seems, simply following in his father's footsteps. As a result of Séré's unexpected death, the lithographer, bookseller, and publisher Hangard-Maugé returned to the project somewhat later, when he drew on Séré's work for the four volumes of Arts Somptuaires, Histoire du costume et de l'ameublement et des arts et industries qui s'y rattachent (Sumptuary Arts, History of Costume and Furniture and the Arts and Industries therewith connected) published in 1857-1858. He did so with the assistance of a painter "expert in archeological studies", Claudius Ciappori.
Part of Séré's project had, however, been published as early as 1847-1851 by the famous Paul Lacroix (known as "Bibliophile Jacob"), in the volume Le Moyen Âge et La Renaissance, histoire et description des moeurs et des usages, du commerce et de l'industrie, des sciences, des arts, des littératures et des beaux-arts en Europe (The Middle Ages and the Renaissance, A History and Description of Mores and Customs, Commerce and Industry, Art, Literature and the Fine Arts in Europe). This was an official State publication, and Lacroix followed it in 1852 with ten volumes of Costumes Historiques de la France d'après les monuments les plus authentiques... précédé de l'histoire de la vie privée des français depuis l'origine de la monarchie jusqu'à nos jours (Historic Costumes of France according to the most Authentic Monuments, preceded by the History of the Private Lives of the French from the Origin of the Monarchy to the Present Day). The names of the Racinets senior and junior appear on certain plates of both of these works, signed "Séré and Racinet del. and lith." or "Racinet Snr. Del.". In the distribution of labor, the Racinets, had, it seems, been principally assigned the didactic plates.
The young Auguste Racinet's participation in works of this kind marked the starting point of his career in scholarly art publishing. This career is summarized in the administrative dossier compiled when he was named a Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur on 5 August 1878, at which time the publication of his Costume Historique (Costume History) was already "in progress". The report reminds us that Racinet, "draughtsman and publicist", was not merely the author of Ornement Polychrome (Polychrome Ornament), translated into English and German, but artistic director of various sets of engravings, such as La Céramique japonaise (Japanese Ceramics), a color publication in English and French, La Collection archaéologique du Prince Saltykoff (The Archeological Collection of Prince Saltykoff), Le XVIIIe siècle (The 18th Century) by Paul Lacroix, and L'Iconographie de la Sainte Vierge (The Iconography of the Holy Virgin) by Abbé Meynard.
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Auguste Racinet, The Complete Costume History
Hardcover, 29 x 44 cm (11.4 x 17.3 in.), 636 pages
$ 200.00
$ 200.00
"An indispensable work for all those who are interested in costumes." — The Sunday Times Culture, London
Europe: 17th century: Historical figure
France: 17th century: Civilian costumes, nobility. Wig and sword worn, 1670