L'Iliade - L'Odyssée
“[Clio speaks]. Write at the top of a page the name of Homer. It is the greatest name, my child. The gods would be nothing, and not only the gods but men as well, if he had not sung about them…” (Charles Péguy).
First edition translated by Madame Dacier (1645-1720), preserved in its blue morocco gilt bindings, signed by Chilliat.
Provenance: Duke of Mortemart; “I belong to the Duke of Mortemart” calligraphed on the title page of the Odyssey; Duchess of Berry.
6 volumes in-12. Full long-grain blue morocco, gilt palmette roll-tool border on covers, gilt armorial stamp in the center of the upper cover, spine with gilt false bands, gilt-decorated edges, gilt inner roll-tool, gilt edges. Armorial morocco binding, signed by Chilliat, circa 1810.
172 x 99 mm.
Homer. The Iliad - The Odyssey of Homer translated into French with remarks by Madame Dacier.
Paris, Rigaud, 1711-1716.
First edition of Anne Dacier's (1645-1720) translation of Homer, one of the best and most highly regarded among early translations, the result of more than 10 years of work.
The translation of the Iliad was published in 1711 and that of the Odyssey in 1716. Each work includes an extensive preface as well as numerous remarks. These translations were authoritative for a long time and even served as the basis for most school editions used in French high schools in the 19th century.
The edition, adorned with 2 frontispieces drawn by Coypel and 24 engravings by Bernard Picard, is regarded as the prettiest and one of the most interesting of the 18th century.
Madame Dacier (1651-1720) was the daughter of Tanneguy-Lefebvre.
This edition has always attracted the interest of collectors. For proof, one only has to read Brunet.
“Copies bound in morocco, whose bindings are nothing extraordinary, commonly fetch 60 or 72 francs, as seen at the sales of Hangard, Bourdillon, Giraud, etc.; but 400 francs were paid at the Nodier sale for a copy in red morocco, tooled, with doublures of green morocco, although the binding of each of the two poems differed by the gilding; and I myself unsuccessfully bid up to 750 francs at the De Bure sale for a copy in blue morocco bound by Padeloup with particular care and elegant simplicity; this proves that the prices of such books depend entirely on the competition engendered by the beauty of the copy itself, and it would be a great mistake to report these prices without mentioning the circumstances that motivated them. Thus, a copy in morocco with doublures was sold for 1,010 francs to Baron Pichon, and purchased by a passing collector in Paris, who quickly resold it to the bookseller Aug. Fontaine, who was asking and received 1,400 francs for it. M. de Coislin paid 400 francs for this charming example of Boyet's binding at the Nodier sale in 1844.”
Precious copy printed on fine Dutch paper, preserved in its blue morocco binding by Chilliat with the arms of the Duchess of Berry.
Provenance: Mortemart family “I belong to the Duke of Mortemart,” handwritten on the title page of the Odyssey; Duchess of Berry.
