Quarto volume (8x11") Intro and captions in French. The book consists of b&w photos of dioramas of the life of Satan; playing cards, enjoying a concert, sitting in judgement, torture scenes in Hell etc. Satirical and a lot of fun.
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Text: French
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very strange, very French,
By "cbrooks1034" (Monroe, NC United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Diableries: La Vie Quotidienne Chez Satan a La Fin Du 19 Siècle (French Edition) (Hardcover)
O bought this book about 12 years ago when I was 15, and at that time found it very interesting. It was pricey then, (about $60), but I decided I had to have it. A few months later it was destroyed, and up until I found it on this site in January, I had been searching for a new copy. If you are unfamiliar with the book's contents, the pages contain pictures of diorama sculptures of what the life of Satan would have been like in France at the end of the 1800's, if he were, in some respects, just like the average, albeit well-off, French citizen. The works themselves are detailed, imaginative, and very well executed. The themes range from humorous, to festive, to horrible, and even cautionary. There are sculptures that depict the marriage of Satan, Satan being chased from Paradise, Satan having a day in the park, and so on. There is very little text provided by the author, Jac Remise, at the front of the book. I do not speak a word of French, so I have little idea of who made the sculptures, or who took the pictures of them. Signatures on the sculptures themselves give date in the late 1800's, and only 2 people's names can be discerned--de Cougny (Hennetier), and Habert. Based on what I can tell from the text, the works seem to have been destroyed long ago, or have simply disappeared. I may find someone to translate what little text there is, but for now the mystery is kind of romantic. Who commissioned these sculptures? Were the artists in competition, or friends with a similar bizarre hobby? Were they for public viewing, or private? Were they considered a common attraction--like vaudeville--or were they for the rich and cultured to admire? Furthermore, based on the dates, it seems that the artists spent about 10 years making the sculptures. As neat as they are, what kind of people have that much time and patience to create little devils and skeletons out of clay over and over, just to stick them on some sculptures making little scenes? It is the sort of thing a person might do once, maybe even twice, but there are dozens of these things, and all very intricate. Is it because there was not yet any television? Ultimately, this is a very cool book. A person could look at its pages over and over and see something new on every page, every time. For whatever reason this art was created, it is still vastly macabre, intriguing, and creative. True, the subject matter is a little gothic, which is probably why I liked it so much at 15, but it still evokes interest in me as an adult. I would DEFINITLEY recommend buying the book, but if you do, take very good care of it, (the black pages smudge easily, so gloves or very dry hands are best). This is not a coffee table book!! It is not a cheap item, but as with anything rare, the knowledge that it is so can make it all the more pleasurable to own.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
great black and white fotos of Mr Satan,
This review is from: Diableries: La Vie Quotidienne Chez Satan a La Fin Du 19 Siècle (French Edition) (Hardcover)
This book shows photographs of Satan and his mates in hell.
Yes, real photographs. These b/w pictures of diorama sculptures were handed to photographer Jac Remise - more famous for his photos of toys and model railways and aircrafts. It's worth to ask if the artwork as seen in this book still exist today - and if yes - where. Invaluable! It shows themes like Satan and his Wife, Satan and his Maids, Satan's maids luring dead souls in the woods, New Years Eve in Hell, Stock Market in Hell, the Torture chamber, Casino in Hell, a walk through the Park in Hell, a saint driven by ghouls, War - the Great Harvest, sport events in Hell. All at about the end of 1800. Over 80 pictures with french subtitles. These pictures are great fun to look at. If you are interested in some morbid - yet high quality! - artwork, you should get this book. This book is very hard to find. So a price over $140 is reasonable. To me, buying this book was like buying an illustration of Gustave Dore or Jerome Bosch. I really love it. I also recommend jakeanddinoschapman dot com from the UK for a contemporary impression of this kind of art.
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
stones,
By Peter Mitchell (Liverpool UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Diableries: La Vie Quotidienne Chez Satan a La Fin Du 19 Siècle (French Edition) (Hardcover)
Mmm interesting comments. Look in the CD leaflet of the Rolling Stones' 'Voodoo lounge' album for a free sample of a diorama!
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