Lot n° 76
Estimation :
400 - 600
EUR
DURAS (Claire de). - Lot 76
DURAS (Claire de).
Ourika.
Paris : Ladvocat, 1824. - In-12, half tan basane, smooth spine decorated, spotted edges (period binding).
Second edition, published for the benefit of a charity and issued in the same year as the extremely rare original, of which only a very small number of copies were printed and not put on the market.
"Ourika" is a small masterpiece telling the story of a young African slave girl brought from Senegal at the age of two, raised in France and who, forgetting in her naivety her colour and condition, falls in love with a man who can never give her his name. This is one of the first French literary works to explore relationships, especially romantic ones, between individuals of different races.
Slight wear to the headpieces, some wear rubbing to the spine. Some foxing.
Attached:
GIRARDIN (Delphine de). OURIKA. Paris : Ponthieu et Delaunay, Dupont, Bouland et Tardieu, [1824]. - In-8, bradel paper with long title-piece on spine, cover preserved.
First edition of this elegy attached to the 3rd edition of the Essais Poétiques, published by the author in Paris in 1824. It was written following the publication of the novel Ourika by Claire de Duras to whom the elegy is dedicated.
"Melle Gay has shown delicacy and gratitude in this, since she owes this lady one of the most beautiful pieces of the collection that she puts before our eyes. We shall not hesitate to give it preference over the Nouvelle itself, because we find in it the simplest, most natural and most eloquent depiction of the feelings that were to animate Ourika, this new and original figure whose entire merit of creation belongs to the first author" (H. Héreau in "Revue Encyclopédique, ou Analyse raisonnée des productions les plus remarquables", tome XXIII, page 455)
This piece includes a false title, 2 leaves paginated 120 to 122 and a table leaf. It was printed like this to be added to the edition of the Essais poétiques. It is very rare to find it on its own, especially with a special cover and a mailing from the poetess.
Precious copy enriched with an autograph sending from Delphine Gay to the novelist Virginie Ancelot (1792-1875) :
" Offered by the author // to Madame Ancelot "
Very faded paper
.
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