Lot n° 38
Estimation :
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Result
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RÉTIF DE LA BRETONNE (Nicolas Edme).
Les... - Lot 38 - Ader
RÉTIF DE LA BRETONNE (Nicolas Edme).
Les Contemporaines, ou Avantures des plus jolies Femmes de l'âge présent. [Followed by]: The Contemporaries of the - common, or Avantures of the beautiful Women Merchants, Workers, &c.a, of the present age. [And of]: The Contemporaries by - gradation: or Avantures of the Beautiful Women of the present age, according to the gradation of the principal States of the Society.
Leipzig : Büschel ; Paris : Veuve Duchesne, 1780-1785. - 3 series in 42 volumes in-12, 174 x 106. Half blue morocco, smooth spine decorated, marbled head, untrimmed (19th century binding).
Rives-Childs, pp. 256-265, XXII.
First edition, except for volumes I and II which are in second edition, dated 1781.
this collection of "Aventures des plus jolies femmes de l'âge présent" is Rétif de La Bretonne's most considerable work
.
The three series, composed of the "Contemporaines", the "Contemporaines du commun" and the "Contemporaines par gradation", contain a total of 282 short stories.
Like most of the author's works, these short stories are illustrated with original engravings by the draftsman and engraver Louis Binet. There are 283 of them, engraved by the best practitioners. This extraordinary iconography restores the customs, the houses, the furnishings, the costumes of the end of the XVIIIth century with an incomparable grace and fidelity.
Beautiful copy in a slightly later binding. It is enriched with interesting and relevant notes in the margins of several leaves, written by an unconditional fan of Rétif de La Bretonne, giving details on the content and drawing parallels with other texts of the author.
Covers faded in most of the volumes. Cracking and splitting to several hinges, notably to volumes 12 and 21 (very fragile). First cover of volume 16 detached, lower cover and part of the last box torn off in the same volume. Restorations to several leaves, mostly due to paper defects, but some have left reddish stains reaching the text. Restoration to folio A11 of the 9th volume where the missing part of the text has been copied by hand. Leaves M3 and M10 in volume 13 have been brought back, as apparently have leaves T3 to T9 of the 34th volume. The last 2 leaves of the table at the end of volume 36 are missing. Stain on the plate facing page 98 of volume 15. Some rare light spotting and scattered foxing.
Provenance: Lebert, with handwritten bookplate on verso of the first white endpaper of each volume.
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