An extraordinary survivor from the golden age of French art publishing, this large-format portfolio — "The Paris Salons" compiled by critic and author Charles Yriarte — contains a remarkable collection of photogravure and heliogravure reproductions of paintings exhibited at the annual Paris Salon exhibitions of the 1890s, each sheet bearing the facsimile of the exhibiting artist's name. The works span the full range of Salon taste: luminous academic nudes among hollyhocks ("Dans les roses trémières" by Albert, and a water-lily pond idyll "Fleur d'eau" by Jeanne-Rosine); a storm-tossed mariner lashed to a ship's mast ("Stella Maris"); an Orientalist harem interior signed by E. Dargman; a fox-hunting scene on a decorative fan ("Hallali Roulant" by Olivier de Penne); a genre kitchen confrontation ("Deux Coqs vivaient en paix" by Débat-Ponsan); cattle being ferried across a river; Maurice Leloir's costumed theatrical invasion scene; and portrait studies. Charles Yriarte (1832–1898) was a prominent French journalist and art critic whose Salon annuals were considered authoritative cultural documents of their era. The portfolio envelope shows significant age wear while the interior print sheets range from Good to Very Good, retaining strong tonal contrast.