Marchés de Provence [Markets of Provence] [Inscribed by Marie Mauron]

Item Details

France:, Éditions Baconnier,, 1970., 25 unnumbered leaves, issued loose in a folding wrapper, with cloth chemise and matching slipcase.

Limited Edition, Fine

A finely produced illustrated volume celebrating the open-air markets of Provence through the writing of Marie Mauron and the lively drawings of Christian de Gastyne. The illustrations capture market stalls, vendors, shoppers, town squares, and the everyday bustle of Provençal life, combining energetic pen work with occasional watercolor-like color.

Produced after de Gastyne's death as a memorial to the artist, the edition brings together regional literature, illustration, and fine printing.

This copy is distinguished by a substantial personal inscription from Mauron to Lou and Mireille, dated June 1971. Written in affectionate language, it recalls their brief vacation and invites them to revisit the sunlit, fragrant markets of Provence through memory and imagination.

The copy also retains its folding wrapper, cloth chemise, and matching slipcase, together with an additional duplicate color plate.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS: A LIMITED EDITION ON FINE FRENCH RAG PAPER.
+++ Folio, approximately 40 × 30 cm (15.75 × 11.8 inches).
+++ 25 unnumbered leaves, issued loose in a folding wrapper, with cloth chemise and matching slipcase.
+++ Sixteen full-page illustrations after drawings and gouaches by Christian de Gastyne, including two in color.
+++ Printed on papier pur chiffon de Mandeure, a fine-quality French rag paper.
+++ Edition strictly limited to 600 numbered copies, including 100 hors-commerce copies reserved for Éditions Baconnier. Numbered copy 242 of 600.
+++ Limitation statement records that the volume was produced in memory of Christian de Gastyne by his friends at the printing house.
+++ A separate memorial leaf identifies de Gastyne as a painter-engraver, 1909–1969, and pays tribute to his work.

CONDITION: FINE. Minimal evidence of handling. Loose sheets remain clean and well preserved, with illustrations retaining their definition and color. Cloth chemise and matching slipcase are sound and attractive, with only slight signs of storage and handling.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: A PROVENÇAL WRITER AND AN ARTIST REMEMBERED —
MARIE MAURON AND THE LITERARY TRADITIONS OF PROVENCE.
Marie Mauron (1896–1986) was a French writer closely associated with Provence, whose work recorded the region's landscape, traditions, language, and everyday life. In Marchés de Provence, she presents the markets as gathering places where commerce, conversation, and regional identity meet.

CHRISTIAN DE GASTYNE — AN ARTIST'S MEMORIAL.
Christian de Gastyne (1909–1969) was a French painter, engraver, and book illustrator who worked extensively with Éditions Baconnier, including as its artistic adviser in Algiers.

The book was produced following his death by friends associated with the printing house. Its memorial statement and accompanying tribute establish the volume as a deliberate commemoration of his artistic career rather than simply another illustrated publication.

His drawings emphasize the movement and character of market life, from crowded produce stalls to vendors and customers in the streets of southern France.

GENRES: Fine Press Books, Illustrated Books, French Literature,  Artists' Memorial Volumes, Limited Editions, Signed and Inscribed Books, Travel and Cultural History

SUBJECTS: Marie Mauron, Christian de Gastyne, Marchés de Provence, Provence, French Regional Literature, French Book Illustration, Provençal Markets, Market Scenes, French Decorative Arts, Éditions Baconnier, French Fine Printing, Limited Editions, Artist Memorials, French Cultural History.

Signed with an inscription by Marie Mauron. 
À Lou et à Mireille pour prolonger vos trop courtes vacances à Chicago, en vous y promenant par la pensée, le cœur, le souvenir, la nostalgie et l’espoir, à travers nos marchés de Provence ensoleillés et parfumés, de tout cœur fraternel, Marie Mauron. Juin 71…

In English, approximately:
To Lou and Mireille, to prolong your all-too-short vacation in Chicago, by taking you there in thought, heart, memory, nostalgia and hope, through our sunlit and fragrant markets of Provence, with wholehearted fraternal affection — Marie Mauron. June 1971.

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