Phillip Medhurst

From: “La Sainte Bible : Ancien Testament . . . / Compositions par J.-James Tissot”; with preface by Antonin Gilbert Sertillanges (1863-1948), introduction by Maurice de Brunoff (1861-1937) and the translation into French of Isaac-Louis Lemaistre de Saci (1613-1684). 2 volumes. Paris: M. de Brunoff & Cie, 1904. The illustrations were originated by James Tissot (1836-1902) who sketched as he read Scripture.

The edition, of which 561 copies were printed, contains 360 mounted colour, black-and-white and duo-tone illustrations in the text and 40 plates in three states: sepia-tone, partly hand-coloured, and finished coloured state. The plates are protected with captioned tissue-guards. The paper size is 15.75 x 13 ins; image size varies (circa 8.5 x 5.5 ins).

The paintings for all 400 Illustrations were based exclusively on the complete sketches (the inspiration being entirely Tissot’s). The first 200 illustrations covering the Book of Genesis through to the story of Jephthah’s daughter in the Book of Judges were painted by Tissot. The last remaining 200 illustrations were painted after Tissot’s death in 1902 by Henri Bellery-Desfontaines, Auguste François Gorguet, Charles Hoffbauer, Louis van Parys, Michel Simonidy and Georges Bertin Scott.

Of the 561 copies printed, the John Rylands Library (Manchester) copy is an “exemplaire unique”. As well as the triple set of the large plates in various states, and a series of proofs before letters of the illustrations appearing in the text, it contains a water colour drawing by Tissot (“Joseph presents his father Jacob to Pharaoh”), these original pen and ink sketches for this work, and an autograph letter by him. (John Rylands Library Special Collections R16279)

https://archive.org/details/james_tissot_old_testament_images