Guy de MAUPASSANT

First edition.

Ex-libris designed by Toulouse-Lautrec for Maurice Guibert. This ex-libris exists in several colours; this example is in red. The photographer Maurice Guibert was a friend of Toulouse-Lautrec, who created a caricature portrait of him in the form of this ex-libris.
Illustrated with a frontispiece portrait of the author, etched by Just.
Bound in half raspberry morocco with gilt and marbled paper boards, signed Blanchetière (at the head of the first free endpaper); smooth spine elaborately gilt and inlaid with a pointed German helmet (symbolising the new Mademoiselle Fifi), with date, publisher and place gilt at the foot; marbled endpapers and pastedowns; original...

First edition on ordinary paper, with no mention of large paper copies.

Occasional light spotting, a small angular lack to half-title.
Elegant pastiche marbled paper Bradel binding by Thomas Boichot, brown morocco title label, covers preserved.
Handsome autograph inscription signed by the author: "A Guy de Maupassant, son ami [For Guy de Maupassant, his friend]."

First edition.
Half beige cloth Bradel binding, flat spine, date at foot, black shagreen title-piece skillfully restored, marbled paper boards, contemporary binding.
Inscribed by Guy de Maupassant to his friend the writer Catulle Mendès.
A fine copy, attractively bound.
Provenance: from the library of Arthur Christian with his bookplates on the front pastedown.

First edition, no grands papiers (deluxe) copies printed.
Half brown sheepskin, spine with four raised bands framed in blind and dec­orated with gilt floral motifs, some rubbing to the spine, marbled paper boards, marbled paper endpapers and flyleaves, modest contemporary bind­ing.

Rare signed and inscribed copy by Guy de Maupassant to the Baron de Vaux who inspired the character of Bel-Ami: “To Baron de Vaux / his friend / Guy de Maupassant”.

First edition on ordinary paper, with a mention of the fourth edition.
Bradel binding in green almond half percaline, smooth spine slightly faded and decorated, gilt fillet at foot, brown shagreen label, marbled paper boards, original wrappers preserved, extremities very slightly rubbed, contemporary binding.
Inscribed and signed by Guy de Maupassant to Paul Hervieu.
 

First edition on ordinary paper.

Contemporary half burgundy sheep, smooth spine sunned and decorated with double gilt fillets, marbled paper boards, a few scratches to the lower board, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, a few small nicks to the edges, contemporary binding.

Scattered foxing.

Presentation inscription signed by Guy de Maupassant « à Monsieur [Amaury] Renoul », manager of the Librairie Nouvelle, established at 15 boulevard des Italiens. The bookshop's back room served as a literary salon frequented by many of the leading artistic and intellectual figures of the French capital.

Paris, Nadar studio, negative circa 1888, print circa 1900-1924. Cabinet-card photograph.

Albumen print mounted on the Nadar studio card. Maupassant is shown bust-length in left profile. The mount bears the printed name "P. Nadar" at the head and the studio signature printed in red in the lower margin. The verso gives the addresses 51 rue d'Anjou and 53 rue des Mathurins, together with Paul Nadar's distinctions at the 1900 Exposition Universelle: hors concours, member of the jury, Class XII.

First edition, one of 20 numbered copies on alfa paper, our copy lettered "A" among the 8 hors commerce lettered copies, the only deluxe paper issue.

A tear at the foot of the spine at the level of the sewing supports, otherwise a pleasant wide-margined copy.

Dated and signed autograph presentation by the publisher beneath the print statement: "Affectueusement reservé à mon admirable collaboratrice Suzanne qui est aussi la plus charmante & la plus précieuse des filleules - que dis-je ? la seule filleule qui compte ! Paris 18 octobre 1942."

First edition.
Half blue morocco shagreen, smooth spine, gilt date at foot of spine, marbled paper boards, contemporary binding.
Exceptionally inscribed by Emile Zola to the playwright and opera librettist Ludovic Halévy, with the autograph signatures of Guy de Maupassant, Joris-Karl Huysmans, Léon Hennique, Paul Alexis and Henri Céard on the first flyleaf.
Provenances: from the libraries of Ludovic Halévy and Marcel Lecomte, with their bookplates on front pastedown.
Our copy also includes, on a flyleaf, an autograph note by Ludovic Halévy: "See a letter by Guy de Maupassant at the end of the volume. L.H. Inscribed by the six authors of the volume...

First edition on ordinary paper.

Contemporary binding in half red morocco with corners, spine with five raised bands framed with black fillets, gilt date on tail, marbled paper boards, bouquet-patterned endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved (small angular restoration to the foot of the first board), gilt head.

Binding signed by Léon Gruel, one of the most renowned bookbinders of the late 19th century.

Le Horla consists of thirteen short stories: Le Horla, Amour, Le Trou, Sauvée, Clochette, Le Marquis de Fumerol, Le Signe, Le Diable, Les Rois, Au bois, Une famille, Joseph, L'Auberge and Le Vagabond.

Precious...

First edition, one of 200 numbered copies on Hollande paper, the only large paper copies.

3/4 blue morocco Bradel binding, spine with five raised bands highlighted with gilt dots and decorated with triple gilt compartments, gilt date at tail, gilt fillets on marbled paper boards, marbled paper flyleaves and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, others uncut, binding signed Canape.

Rare copy of Guy de Maupassant's masterpiece beautifully bound in an elegant signed binding.

First edition of Les Hommes d'aujo­urd'hui (33 issues lacking out of 469). Five volumes bound in light blue half-cloth, smooth spines, blue morocco ti­tle labels decorated with double filets, marbled paper boards (4 volumes). The color title pages have been preserved and bound in. Marginal tears without damage to the text (no. 163; no. 165; no. 184, p. 2). Mar­ginal restorations without damage to text on 8 leaves be­tween nos. 214 and 223. Two leaves of no. 224 backed. Mar­ginal tear with some paper missing (no. 345, p.1). Format of quires in the first vol­ume varies; some are trimmed more than others.
First edition of Les Femmes du jour, very rare complete collection...

First edition, one of 150 numbered copies on Hollande, the only deluxe issue copies after 5 on Japon.
A very fine copy, as issued, with an important manuscript document by Elme-Marie Caro, 1 page in ink on a double leaf, undated [1887 ?].
Maupassant's last novel Notre Coeur is also one of his most autobiographical. The writer was strongly influenced in this piece by famous literary and artistic "Salons" held by high society women, which he frequently attended. The novel confronts a man of letters with one of these strong-headed women of late 19th-century Paris. He describes the main character Michèle de Burne as "a woman of refinement, of indeterminate...

First edition, an ordinary paper copy.
Contemporary green half shagreen, marbled paper boards, spine with five raised bands and gilt flowers, speckled edges.
With the autograph signatures of every author of the "Médan group" involved in the writing of this famous collection of short stories: Guy de Maupassant, Emile Zola, Joris-Karl Huysmans, Léon Hennique, Paul Alexis and Henri Céard on the first endpaper.
A very good and rare copy in a strictly contemporary binding.

First edition on ordinary paper.

Some scattered foxing.
Bradel binding in full combed paper, smooth spine, navy morocco lettering-piece framed with gilt fillets, elegant pastiche binding signed by Thomas Boichot.
Rare and precious autograph inscription signed by Hector Malot: "A Guy de Maupassant, son dévoué confrère."

First edition for which there is no mention of large paper copies.
Bradel binding of paper boards, dark blue morocco title label with gilt fillets, covers preserved, elegant binding by Thomas Boichot.
Handsome autograph inscription from the author : "A Guy de Maupassant, son ami."

First edition on ordinary paper.
Contemporary half cloth adorned with arabesques over marbled paper boards, spine with gilt fillets and olive-green shagreen title-piece (repair to edges), marbled pastedowns and endpapers, one lower corner rubbed.
Autograph inscription from Guy de Maupassant to monsieur Caron.

First edition.
Authorial presentation inscription signed by Guy de Maupassant “to Monsieur [Amaury] Renoul,” manager of the Librairie Nouvelle, located at 15 boulevard des Italiens. The back room of this celebrated Parisian bookshop served as a literary salon frequented by many of the capital’s foremost artistic and intellectual figures. 
Spine slightly cocked, joints rubbed, otherwise a very good copy in its original condition.

First edition, one of 100 numbered copies on Hollande paper, the only large paper copies along with 5 on Japon.
Elegant brown morocco by G. Levitzsky, spine in six compartments, gilt roulettes to head- and tail-pieces, date at foot of spine, double gilt fillets to edges of covers, pastedowns with a frame of dentelles and quintuple gilt fillets, marbled pastedowns and endpapers, covers and spine preserved, top edge gilt.
Cover illustrated by Riou.
A very good copy in a handsome binding. 

First edition on ordinary paper.
Bradel binding in half navy blue morocco, smooth spine, burgundy morocco title-piece, marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, sprinkled edges, bookplate affixed to a pastedown, binding signed by Kauffmann.
Precious signed autograph inscription by Guy de Maupassant: « À mon aimable cousine Lucie Le Poittevin et à mon cher cousin, beau-fils de Cornudet lui-même, leur bien dévoué... »
Our copy is further enriched with two autograph letters signed by Léon Hennique and Henri Céard.

Autograph letter signed by Guy de Maupassant, to the critic Vittorio Pica. 1 page ¼ in black ink on two pages of a bifolium with letterhead of his initials, "Sur le Bel-Ami / Antibes". Autograph envelope enclosed, bearing numerous stamps and postmarks.Discreet sepia ink offsetting on the first sheet, from another Maupassant letter.

 
Touching letter from Maupassant with failing eyesight, lamenting his inability to read the laudatory reviews by his correspondent Vittorio Pica. The latter published numerous studies in the Italian literary magazines Fantasio, Napoli Letteraria and La Tavola Rotonda on the writer's...

"Monsieur et cher Confrère,
Zola me transmet votre aimable article du Fantasio. Il m'a fait le plus grand plaisir ; et je vous prie de...