Missal Of The Holy Women Of France Illustrated By Elisabeth Sonrel, Maison A. Mame Et Fils, 1900

A beautiful small octavo prayer book, housed in a slipcase bound in burgundy morocco leather with gilt edges and marbled paper. The front cover is centered with a gilt metal monogram embellished with scrolls. The endpapers are lined with silk and richly decorated with gilt lace borders and fillets. Each page features large in-text ornaments in monochrome tones highlighted with gold, each depicting a different saint, as well as ten full-page color plates signed “E. Sonrel”. The watermark of the Renage paper mill, active from 1834 to 1982, is visible on the last, blank pages of the book. A black-bordered card, featuring on the front an engraving after Carlo Dolci's Mater Dolorosa and on the back a text about Reverend Mother Eulalie, who died in 1900, is tucked between the first few pages.

Elisabeth Sonrel (1874-1953) was a French painter and illustrator trained at the Académie Julian under Jules Lefebvre, after receiving initial instruction from her father, Stéphane Sonrel, himself an artist. She exhibited at the Salon from 1893 onwards and had her own studio in Sceaux. In 1900, she participated in the Universal Exhibition and was awarded a bronze medal. Her preferred themes were mythological tales, biblical episodes, medieval legends, and scenes of daily life in Brittany, which she translated into works populated by female figures inspired by Art Nouveau, Symbolism, and Pre-Raphaelite styles. These were primarily disseminated through religious books, almanacs, posters, and postcards. Her name appears in Walter Shaw Sparrow's "Women Painters of the World," which lists the most celebrated female artists from the Renaissance to 1905, the year of the book's publication.

The Mame publishing house was founded in 1796 in Tours by Charles-Pierre Mame. Specializing in religious publications, it experienced significant growth during the 19th century under the leadership of Alfred Mame, who decided to manage the entire book production process (printing, binding, sales, and shipping) in one location. It participated in several World's Fairs, notably the 1855 Paris Exposition, where it received a medal of honor. The firm's reputation was such that it was granted the title of Papal Printer in 1897. Among its best-known editions is the Bible illustrated by Gustave Doré, published in 1866. The family business continued until the 1970s.

Minor wear to the slipcase.
Good overall condition.
From the 1900s.

Dimensions:
Book: H: 16.5 cm - W: 13 cm - D: 3 cm;
Slipcase: H: 20.5 cm - W: 17.5 cm - D: 4.5 cm