Beautés du Christianisme
Ou Recueil de Belles Actions inspirées par cette Religion
Par A. Caillot
Chez Odier, Libraire Éditeur, Quai des Augustins No. 15, Paris
[ca. 1835–1845]
⸻
This work, whose title translates to Beauties of Christianity, or A Collection of Noble Deeds Inspired by Religion, was compiled by A. Caillot, a prolific 19th-century French author known for moral and educational works. True to its title, the book presents exemplary stories of Christian virtue—often through dramatic scenes of sacrifice, piety, forgiveness, and charity—intended for both young and general readers.
⸻
• The volume includes a series of hand-colored lithographs, each facing key sections of the text.
• These plates, vivid and emotive, are labeled with both scene numbers and captions reflecting the moral lesson or biblical virtue being enacted.
• The coloring appears to be hand-applied over lithographic outlines, a common practice in the 1830s–40s French publishing industry, particularly for children’s and religious books.
• The somewhat soft, uneven application of color (especially in flesh tones and garments) and pooling around darker areas strongly supports the hand-colored attribution.
⸻
• The marbled endpapers feature a printed label for Denaix, Libraire, located at 14 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris—a bookseller active in the first half of the 19th century.
• A stunning calligraphic prize inscription from the Paroisse de la Madeleine (Church of La Madeleine, Paris), dated 23 May 1841, indicates this was awarded as the “Prize for Historical Catechism” to Joseph Fourtier, signed by the parish priest.
• This adds both provenance and rich cultural context: the book was not only read but honored and preserved as a religious prize in one of Paris’s most prominent churches.
⸻
Books like this played a central role in 19th-century French religious education, especially in parish schools and catechism classes. Through a blend of edifying narrative and vivid visual reinforcement, Beautés du Christianisme helped shape the ethical and emotional imagination of young Catholics during the Restoration and July Monarchy periods.
These works were also part of a broader publishing movement to moralize through print, making Christianity accessible through storytelling, not just doctrine—a hallmark of Caillot’s broader oeuvre.
⸻
• Genre: Devotional / Moral Education
• Illustration: Hand-colored lithographs
• Use: Catechism prize book
• Cultural value: Reflects the intersection of art, pedagogy, and Catholic identity in early 19th-century France
This is a fine, visually striking artifact of post-Napoleonic Catholic revivalism and moral instruction, personalized by its 1841 prize inscription and enhanced by its color plates—an evocative piece for any collector of French devotional works or hand-colored illustration.
Beautés du Christianisme
Ou Recueil de Belles Actions inspirées par cette Religion
Par A. Caillot
Chez Odier, Libraire Éditeur, Quai des Augustins No. 15, Paris
[ca. 1835–1845]
⸻
This work, whose title translates to Beauties of Christianity, or A Collection of Noble Deeds Inspired by Religion, was compiled by A. Caillot, a prolific 19th-century French author known for moral and educational works. True to its title, the book presents exemplary stories of Christian virtue—often through dramatic scenes of sacrifice, piety, forgiveness, and charity—intended for both young and general readers.
⸻
• The volume includes a series of hand-colored lithographs, each facing key sections of the text.
• These plates, vivid and emotive, are labeled with both scene numbers and captions reflecting the moral lesson or biblical virtue being enacted.
• The coloring appears to be hand-applied over lithographic outlines, a common practice in the 1830s–40s French publishing industry, particularly for children’s and religious books.
• The somewhat soft, uneven application of color (especially in flesh tones and garments) and pooling around darker areas strongly supports the hand-colored attribution.
⸻
• The marbled endpapers feature a printed label for Denaix, Libraire, located at 14 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris—a bookseller active in the first half of the 19th century.
• A stunning calligraphic prize inscription from the Paroisse de la Madeleine (Church of La Madeleine, Paris), dated 23 May 1841, indicates this was awarded as the “Prize for Historical Catechism” to Joseph Fourtier, signed by the parish priest.
• This adds both provenance and rich cultural context: the book was not only read but honored and preserved as a religious prize in one of Paris’s most prominent churches.
⸻
Books like this played a central role in 19th-century French religious education, especially in parish schools and catechism classes. Through a blend of edifying narrative and vivid visual reinforcement, Beautés du Christianisme helped shape the ethical and emotional imagination of young Catholics during the Restoration and July Monarchy periods.
These works were also part of a broader publishing movement to moralize through print, making Christianity accessible through storytelling, not just doctrine—a hallmark of Caillot’s broader oeuvre.
⸻
• Genre: Devotional / Moral Education
• Illustration: Hand-colored lithographs
• Use: Catechism prize book
• Cultural value: Reflects the intersection of art, pedagogy, and Catholic identity in early 19th-century France
This is a fine, visually striking artifact of post-Napoleonic Catholic revivalism and moral instruction, personalized by its 1841 prize inscription and enhanced by its color plates—an evocative piece for any collector of French devotional works or hand-colored illustration.