The Art of Cuisine (Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Maurice Joyant)

Crescent Books, New York, 1966. Hardcover with dust jacket. First english edition.

First published in French in 1930, The Art of Cuisine is a collection of artist and bon vivant Toulouse-Lautrec's favorite recipes. It was compiled posthumously buy Lautrec's friend, collaborator, and fellow gourmand Maurice Joyant from recipes the two had created or enjoyed together. Joyant used illustrations and drawings from Lautrec's archives to accompany the book and released it as a limited edition tribute.

The 1966 translation includes an introduction by the food writer Barbara Kafka and newly added illustrations from menus that Lautrec himself designed. The recipes are a slice of the belle vie of the Belle Epoque: "Take a partridge, pluck it, dress it, stuff the inside with foie gras, either of goose of duck, and a truffle cut into large pieces..."

Dust jacket has some shelf wear and sun fading at back. Creased lower right-hand corner and tear at flap. Spine has pulled away from text block. Interior pages are bright and clean.