25 Canivet Magic Lantern Slides, 1843

This truly remarkable set of 25 magic lantern slides tells the story of the novel "Marie d'Alezzio ou la Divine Providence" by Amand Biéchy (1812-1882). They measure 38 x 10.3 cm and are housed in their two original cardboard boxes. Slide number 1 is titled in pencil, and they are all numbered in ink from 1 to 26. However, this is an error made by the person who finalized the series. Indeed, it appears that they were initially numbered in pencil from 1 to 25, but during the final ink printing, number 15 was replaced by 16, shifting the subsequent slides by one number. The series is therefore complete. Plates 5, 6, and 12 are lightly painted blue to simulate the sea. These plates are crafted in the style of exquisitely detailed religious penknives, which can be explained by the fact that the story recounts historical and religious events, and that Armand Bièchy's work consists primarily of documented but fictionalized religious histories: Tableau du siècle de Léon X, Saint-Louis ou la France au XIIIème siècle, Saint-Augustin ou l'Afrique au Vème siècle, La croix sur la Baltique, Marie d'Alezzio, etc. "MARIE d'ALEZZIO ou la Divine Providence" is based on the historical conflicts of the 13th century between Charles of Anjou, brother of Saint Louis, and the House of Hohenstaufen for the Kingdom of Sicily, and the narrative begins in the aftermath of the Battle of Tagliacozzo (1268), which ended the Hohenstaufen claims with the condemnation and execution of the last heir, Conradin. The Alezzio family is on the side of the Hohenstaufen; they are Sicilian nobles and Marie d'Alezzio will ultimately turn out to be the daughter of Charles of Anjou.