Are these 1700's first edition book engravings?

Need second/third opinions and help. Got these three copper engravings which look 18th century to me. I believe they come out the book Fables Choisies Mises by J. De La Fontaine 1755-59. These illustrations were specially designed by Jean Baptiste Oudry (1686 - 1755) and engraved by Noel Le Mere, Dominique Sornique and other engravers.

Am I correct with my research? I know we do not talk value but can not find a site were these have been sold in single sheets, could only find the complete book. Need some guidelines or a good website.
Any info/input is welcome

https://www.abebooks.com/FABLES-CHOISIES-Mises-J-Fontaine-Jean/12486500596/bd

 

Single plates from books of the 18th C are not uncommon and not worth much. If you could find someone who wanted a specific plate or plates to repair an incomplete volume you might be able to hold them to ransom a bit, but mostly the buyer would not want a specific plate very badly and would shrug and move on.

 

You can find individual plates from the Fables books that look a lot like yours selling for 5-10 bucks on ebay.

 

You make a good point. I'm not really into engravings and normally stay away from them.

 

L. Le Mire is probably Louis Le Mire, the brother of Noel. He died at age 19 and is known for little other than his engravings for this work.

Any watermarks in the paper?

 

Will do maybe the same and let people fight it out. It's almost impossible to put a date on them with all the reprints

 

I'd think the one with the skeleton would do good if advertised right.

 

How does the size of your prints compare to the size of the folios in the Abebooks link?

 

Here's a result for a group of 10 prints offered by Christie's
http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/...la-fontaines-fables-18th-5508867-details.aspx

 

How does the size of your print compare to the size of the folios in the Abebooks link?

These books are right up there in terms of 18th century publications.

 

The borders on yours are correct for the earlier French Edition, as are the titles and the notations beneath the borders. These are different from the prints being offered on eBay, which are from later editions and different artists.

The mid-18th century French edition was published by Charles Antoine Jombert in Paris.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Ku...ntaine-Jean-Baptiste-Oudry-1755-/222490081389

This was from a later edition?

 

Are you saying you were the seller and happy with the result?

From the little I know, it had all the bells and whistles, and it was a bargain. Those things happen.

Also, you yourself pointed out that some images will be more interesting than others.

Did you look at that Christie's link?

I'm going to start watching these things. I'd like to have a couple of engravings from this work, and I'll take advantage if they're cheap enough to fit my budget.

 

No, I was just wondering if I had missed something or was mistaken in thinking those that the seller had were of the same edition/time frame as the ones above. It does suck for him they went for so low apparently.

Six years is plenty of time for the market to drop out on an item though, and those ones were nicely framed.

 

Thankh you moreotherstuff, youve been a great help. The sizes of the complete pages are approx 41.5x28.5cm.

 

Two of the three have a watermark. One with a what looks like a flower and the other one has a text watermark but can't read it. Paper is from the period.

 

Let me know what your budget is and maybe we can work something out. I've seen a section on this forum were people buy and sell items which I wanted to try out. Can you recommend selling on this forum? I got also ebay and paypal. Pm me

 

I'm having very little success with the watermarks. The grape pattern may indicate a Montgolfier paper produced in Annonay. If so, that's the same Montgolfier family that made the first hot air balloon. They used paper of their own manufacture for the skin.