Donatien Alphonse François de SADE

Original autograph letter by the Marquis de Sade, consists of 27 lines of relatively tight handwriting. Most likely written to his wife, as evidenced by the letter's origin from Sade's family. The letter is physically composed of two glued pieces of paper. On the verso the Marquis wrote 19 lines and scrupulously crossed them out - a few words and letters are still quite visible.
Cited in Maurice Lever's biography, 'Donatien Alphonse François, marquis de Sade', Paris, Fayard, 1991, p. 631.

Autograph letter from Donatien Alphonse François de Sade, written in a tall, narrow hand on one page, addressed to his wife Renée-Pélagie.
Undated, this letter was written in early July 1779 at the Vincennes prison. It is published in Marquis de Sade. Lettres à sa femme, Marc Buffat, 1997 (p. 112).

Marginal dampstaining, a few creases, and a small marginal loss from the letter's unsealing. Address to Madame de Sade in Paris on the verso.

Vincennes, 21 May 1779. One leaf measuring 15.5 x 13.5 cm, 20 autograph lines.

Autograph letter by the Marquis de Sade to his wife, Renée-Pélagie de Montreuil, written from the keep of Vincennes and dated “This twenty-first of May 1779”. The upper edge of the leaf is irregularly cut and the verso bears traces of two folds. Closely written in brown ink. Without an opening form of address, the letter ends with a simple flourish.

This letter of 21 May 1779 to Madame de Sade is cited in studies of Sade’s prison...

Bronze cast of the Marquis de Sade’s skull by the master founder Avangini. One of a unique numbered edition of 99 bearing a reproduction of Sade’s signature, this one No. 30.

Also included is a certificate of authenticity signed by the Comtesse de Sade, with the family’s wax seal.

Provenance: family archives.

Unpublished autograph letter signed and dated, written in black ink and addressed to a notary. On the verso, probably in the hand of a secretary, the inscription "Sade du 1er avril 1793"; below this inscription, a short sentence in the Marquis's hand: "so that I may write to Gaufridy to send him money".

Some transverse folds from the original folding for posting.

Lengthy letter addressed to a notary while the Marquis, freed on April 2, 1790 by the abolition of royal warrants, is at liberty and attempting to put his affairs in order. After the Revolution his sons emigrated and he did not follow them. His name nevertheless appears on the list...

The complete original manuscript of one of Sade's first works, ruled in pencil throughout, comprising 40 leaves written recto and verso. This manuscript, like the other extant items from the Marquis, was dictated to a scribe and corrected by Sade himself. 
Contemporary green paper wrappers with a small lack to middle of spine. Ink title, partly erased, to upper cover: 9/ Net et corrigé en août 1808 – bon brouillon. Les Antiquaires. Comédie en prose en 1 acte [Copied and corrected August 1808 – a good draft. The Antiquaries. A prose comedy in 1 Act]. This title is repeated on the verso of the upper cover.
Numerous manuscript corrections, annotations and...

Bronze cast of the Marquis de Sade's skull by the master founder Avangini. One of a unique numbered edition of 99 bearing a reproduction of Sade's signature, this one no.31.
Also included is a certificate of authenticity signed by the Comtesse de Sade, with the family's wax seal.
Provenance: family archives.

First edition of the French translation prepared by Pierre Klossowski, one of 15 copies on pur fil paper, ours unnumbered but duly justified "pur fil", copy from the head of the print run.

A handsome copy.

Unpublished manuscript written in an unknown hand, probably that of one of the Marquis' scribes. Crossings-out and strikethroughs by the scribe and 7 annotations and strikethroughs by the Marquis de Sade.
Provenance: family archives.
Very important preparatory manuscript for the Voyage d'Italie, in which the young Marquis de Sade, under the cover of a study of the Roman judicial system, develops the great philosophical themes of his future novels.
The first leaf of the manuscript is missing; the Marquis did not retain it during the different stages in which he developed his text. We know this because the notebook was...

Handwritten, censored letter by Donatien Alphonse François de Sade, written in fine writing across two pages addressed to his wife Renée-Pélagie. A number of examples of underlinings, crossing-out and erasing.

Without a date, this letter was written in early March 1781 in Vincennes prison.
The end of the letter was mutilated at the time, probably by the prison administration which destroyed the Marquis' licentious correspondence. In 1948 the letter was found as it was when the Marquis' trunk, which had been sealed by the family since 1814, was opened; it was published in this reduced form as part of the Marquis de Sade's correspondence.
Provenance: family...

“Sur ce que j’ai de plus en plus sacré jamais je ne croirai aux leçons des sectateurs d’un dieu qui se croient permis d’outrager la créature pour honorer le créateur. [“However close I get to the sacred, I will never accept the teachings of the followers of a god who thinks himself entitled to defame the created to honor the creator”.]
“[…] si les hommes me refusent leur justice, il me restera toujours des moyens de me la faire. Elle a aussi des yeux – […], il ne faut que de l’argent pour trouver des coquins…[If I am refused the justice of men, I will find a way to manage. She, too, has eyes…and with money you can...