Thérèse Philosophe
6 albums/56 artworks – Thérèse Philosophe (Therese the Philosopher) is a 1748 French novel ascribed to Jean-Baptiste de Boyer, Marquis d’Argens. It has been chiefly regarded as a pornographic novel, which accounts for its massive sales in 18th-century France. I researched the various illustrated editions of the book. While there are quite a few different editions, only a limited number of artists are known. The earliest illustrations (1748) are anonymous. Around 1780 a suite appeared that is attributed to the Dutch artist Delcroche (sometimes spelled Delroche; little biographical information is known about him). The finest and best-documented set was published in 1785, with drawings by Antoine Borel engraved by François-Rolland Elluin. Other anonymous suites also exist. Because many of the plates…
