{{short description|16th century French publisher}} {{about|the French illustrator|the 12th-century knight|Richard le Breton}} thumb|Costume of the French countrywoman, woodcut from Breton's ''Recueil des Habits'' (1564)
'''Richard Breton''' (1524–1571) was a French publisher of illustrated books in collaboration with '''François Desprez'''.
==Biography== Breton, the son of Guillaume Le Breton, was a publisher and book illustrator and bookbinder at the French court for Catherine de' Medici.<ref>H. Carter & H. Vervliet, ''Civilité Types'', (Oxford 1966), p. 25</ref> For his printer's mark he used an allegorical figure of Charity holding a Sacred Heart, with a crown, a sceptre, a mitre, and a hoe symbolizing labour.<ref>G. de Tervarent, [https://books.google.com/books?id=s_BnmrAKRRUC ''Attributs et symboles dans l'art Profane'', (Paris 1997)], pp. 131, 210, 262</ref> He collaborated with Philippe Danfrie, adopting Danfrie's musical type in his publications.<ref>A. Devriès-Lesure, 'Technological aspects,' in R. Rasch, ed., ''Music Publishing in Europe'', vol. 1 (Berlin 2005) p. 70</ref> Breton and his partner Francois Desprez bought Danfrie's dies and type in 1559.<ref>''La Gravure Française à la Renaissance à la Bibliothèque nationale de France'', (Los Angeles 1995), p. 42</ref>
Breton produced the costume book, {{Lang|frm|Recueil de la diversité des Habits qui sont des present en usaige tant es Pays D'Europe, Asie, Afrique, et isles sauvages}}, (Paris 1562) with 121 woodcuts, and a dedication to Henry of Navarre by his colleague François Desprez. The first edition was printed in Civilité type, a special italic typeface used for children's books. Two subsequent editions in Breton's lifetime employed roman type.
Breton published the pseudo-Rabelaisian {{Lang|frm|Les songes drolatiques de Pantagruel}}, (Paris 1565), which featured 224 fanciful grotesque figures, and was also a collaboration with François Desprez.<ref>A. R. Jones, 'A 1562 Costume book,' in [https://books.google.com/books?id=OcCNpaRKNS8C ''Yale French studies no 110, Meaning and its Objects'', (Yale 2006)], pp. 95-121</ref> Four illustrations from the {{Lang|frm|Songes}} were used on a Scottish Renaissance painted ceiling at Prestongrange, in 1581. Nicolas Elphinstone gave James VI a copy, and another was in the library of Adam Bothwell, Bishop of Orkney who died in 1593.<ref>M. Bath, ''Renaissance Painting in Scotland'' (Edinburgh, 2003), pp. 116-8: G. F. Warner, ''Library of James VI'' (Edinburgh, 1893), p. lxiii.</ref>
At a time when the sale of Calvinist literature was permitted in France, Breton was active in promoting Protestant literature.<ref>G. Widenstein, 'L'imprimeur-libraire Richard Breton et son inventaire après décès, 1571,' in ''Bibliotheque d'humanisme et Renaissance 21,''(1959), pp. 364-379</ref> Richard married Jeanne Warnier, they had a daughters Jeanne and Anne, and a son Thomas. Richard's sister Nicole Breton married René Guillon, a teacher of ancient languages at the University of Paris.<ref>D. Pallier, 'Les Victimes,' in [https://books.google.com/books?id=WQDeMmE9XikC ''Le Livre et l'historien, 24'', (Paris 1997)], pp. 145, 152, 156</ref>
==François Desprez== The preface or letter of dedication for Breton's {{Lang|frm|Recueil des Habits}} (1562) was signed by 'François De Serpz.' In this text, François claimed to have authored the book, and followed drawings of costumes made by others, including 'Roberval, sea-captain of the King.' Desprez, like Breton, was a Parisian bookseller and publisher. Some illustrations issued by him, including those of the {{Lang|frm|Recueil des Effigies des Roys de France}} (1567), are of lesser quality than the {{Lang|frm|Songes}} or the {{Lang|frm|Recueil des Habits}}''.''.<ref>J. Porcher, 'L'Auteur des Songes Drolatiques,' in ''Melanges Offerts a Abel Lefranc'', (Paris 1936), pp. 229-231</ref> The exact roles of Breton and Desprez in the production of their illustrated book collaborations are unclear.
Desprez is also known as a designer and maker of embroidery for purses, as a 'Maistre Boursier.' He published a map of La Rochelle, and was recorded working in Paris between 1556 and 1580.<ref>M. Jeanneret, ''Les Songes Drolatiques De Pantagruel'', (Paris 2004), pp. 9, 175-6</ref>
==External links== thumb|Title page for ''Recueil des Habits'', 1564 * [http://www.bvh.univ-tours.fr/Consult/consult.asp?numtable=B372616101_3540_1&numfiche=65&mode=3&offset=0&ecran=0 ''Recueil des Habits'' (1564)], digitized from the Bibliothèque Municipale, Tours, by [http://www.bvh.univ-tours.fr/index.htm Les Bibliothèques Virtuelles Humanistes] * [http://www.bvh.univ-tours.fr/Consult/consult.asp?numtable=B372616101_3540_2&numfiche=62&mode=3&offset=0&ecran=0 ''Les Songes'' (1565)], digitized from the Bibliothèque Municipale, Tours. *[http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/books-manuscripts/rabelais-francois-les-songes-drolatiques-de-5662575-details.aspx Copy of the ''Songes'' at auction, Christie's]
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Breton, Richard}} Category:French illustrators Category:Printers from Paris Category:16th-century French businesspeople Category:1524 births Category:1571 deaths Category:16th-century illustrators