Lot 544: BALAT, Alphonse Souvenirs de la fête donnée le 26 septembre 1848 par le Cer

BALAT, Alphonse Souvenirs de la fête donnée le 26 septembre 1848 par le Cercle artistique et littéraire sous le patronage du roi, du gouvernement et de la ville de Bruxelles aux artistes exposants aux membres du congrès agricole. Brussels Dero-Becker (impr. Simonau & Toovey) 1849 Large folio: [8]-6-[2] pp., 16 pl., members' list (spotted). Publisher's binding with Belgium's coat of arms on covers of grey cloth. Commemorative album depicting the 1848 festival of the Brussels “Cercle Artistique et Littéraire” (founded in 1847). With title printed in blue and red, a second title leaf printed in gold, 2 dedication leaves and 16 sepia-toned lithographs (occasionally with additional handcolouring) by Huart after Lauter and Stroobant. Also illustrated with a number of in-text woodcuts. The festival, visited by more than 5,000 people, took place in the covered market "la Madeleine", that was designed by Cluysenaer and for the occasion decorated in a Moorish style by Balat who later became Leopold II's architect. The plates show a lottery, a general view of the ballroom, the floral design competition, the "Galerie des fontaines", and a gallery of paintings and allegories made for free by the main artists of the time in exchange for the huge publicity covering the event. Prov. Philippe van Heurck (bookpl.).