In the 17th century, the gallery of the palais de justice was a sort of fashionable department store where, as we see in this print, the linen worker rubbed shoulders with the bookseller and the haberdasher the goldsmith. Bosse shows three stores here, which are obviously not chosen at random. The bookstore, on the left, whose stall is draped with fleur-de-lis, is apparently well stocked with books of all kinds. Inscribed on the back of the shop's shutters alongside the holy bible are the names of cicero, seneca, plutarch, machiavelli, boccaccio, vesalius, rabelais, and even godeau (whom we did not expect); there are also the tableaux de philostrate, the novel by alexandre, le mean de achieve (by béroalde de verville), l'aminte (by tasse), l'astrée by honoré d'urfé, les amours de clytophon et de leucippe (by achilles tatius, newly translated into french in 1635 by jean baudouin), and l'ariane by desmarets de saint-sorlin (published 1632 but reissued with illustrations by bosse in 1639). In addition to novels, the bookstore is rich in historical treatises, as can be deduced from the words engraved on the edge of one of the shelves: "history of spain", "guichardin" (for francesco guicciardini, author of a history of italy), "netherlands, history of france". Abraham bosse does not forget himself, and discreetly alludes to his work. Thus the booksellers' customer is recommended la mariane by tristan l'hermite. The first edition of this tragedy, published by augustin courbé in 1637 with a frontispiece engraved by bosse, places the print from la galerie du palais at this date at the earliest, although the engraver's work is closer to his beginnings than to his maturity. The second boutique presents gloves and other fashion accessories, such as hats, muffs, wolves and fans; a clerk grabs a box from a shelf on which are written the words: euentails de bosse. Bosse had published three fans in 1637 and 1638. The last shop, on the right, presents lace collars and cuffs. Date: circa 1638. Dimensions: sheet: 8 3/8 x 12 5/8 in. (21.3 x 32.1 cm) (trimmed to plate line). Medium: etching. Collection: Metropolitan Museum of Art. Abraham Bosse, The Gallery of the Palace of Justice, ca. 1638
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