Oeuvres
The only known copy of the Works of Molière printed in 1697 bound in armorial contemporary binding recorded in half a century.
8 volumes in-12; red morocco, covers adorned with a wide gilt roll, arms stamped in gold at center, spine with raised bands richly decorated, decorated edges, inner gilt roll, sprinkled edges. Parisian binding of the period attributable to Boyet.
164 x 90 mm.
Molière, known as Jean-Baptiste Poquelin. Works. Paris, Denys Thierry, Claude Barbin and Pierre Trabouillet, 1697.
Very beautiful edition of the Works of Molière printed in 1697, often mistakenly considered a reprint of the 1682 edition.
While the text is the same, the typographical composition and pagination are different. Ten etchings in this 1697 edition originate from the original 1682 printing.
The 1682 edition was produced on the initiative of La Grange, an actor and friend of Molière, with the assistance of Vivot.
This 1697 edition is divided into two distinct parts. The first contains 6 volumes and includes the plays already printed during the author’s lifetime.
The second part comprises 2 volumes of all the plays performed but not printed at his death: Don Garcie de Navarre, L’impromptu de Versailles, Dom Juan, Mélicerte, Les Amants Magnifiques, La Comtesse d’Escarbagnas, and Le Malade Imaginaire.
"It must rightly be considered, along with that of 1682, as the most complete of the 17th-century editions. Stage directions have been introduced, and each comedy is preceded by an engraving, particularly valuable for the poses and costumes of the characters."
It is adorned with 30 etchings after P. Brissart.
The great French classics of the 17th century are highly sought after in contemporary morocco binding.
In armorial dentelle morocco, they are of the rarest distinction and, as such, worthy of being included in the finest collections.
Precious copy bound in red morocco of the period for Jean de La Vieuville, one of the famous “curieux” of the late 17th century.
Bailiff of the Order of Malta and its ambassador in France, Jean de La Vieuville was the second son of Charles who, through his marriage to François de Vienne de Châteauvieux, had acquired the county of Confolens and the barony of La Villate, in Poitou.
Charles was governor of Poitou, like his eldest son René-François, known among bibliophiles for the “La Vieuville dentelle” decorating the bindings of his library. His grandfather had been the superintendent of finances for King Louis XIII. Jean de La Vieuville seems to have shared his brother’s tastes for books. “Both belonged to the small circle of ‘curieux’ that developed in Paris at the end of Louis XIV’s reign and whose activity anticipated the major bibliophilic movement of the mid-18th century” (Jean-Marc Chatelain).
The two brothers have been extensively studied by Isabelle de Conihout and Pascal Ract-Madoux in the catalogue of their exhibition devoted to French Bindings of the 17th Century, Masterpieces from the Musée Condé (2002).
It appears that this contemporary dentelle armorial morocco copy is the only one to have appeared on the international public market in nearly half a century.
Provenance: Jean de La Vieuville (coat of arms); Baron Léopold Double (ex-libris); Léon Techener (Paris, I, no. 428); Pierre Bérès (Cabinet des livres, 2006, no. 52); Pierre Bergé (December 11, 2015, no. 35).
