Vincent VOITURE

First edition, illustrated with a frontispiece by Mellan and a portrait by Champaigne engraved by Nanteuil and produced after the author's death by Martin de Pinchesne, his nephew.
Full grained sheep binding, late 18th century. Spine with raised bands decorated in grotesque style with 2 different motifs. Pink calf title label. Joints cracked at head. Wormholes at foot. 2 corners slightly bumped. Rubbing. Some leaves uniformly browned, others yellowed. Headcap clumsily restored. Yellow dampstain to lower right corner of first 30 pages.
Voiture (1597-1648) was throughout his life a gallant and courtier, brilliant in salons and playing games. His epistolary talent earned him the distinction of making prose fashionable in France for a long time, and his poetry excels in the mannerist and precious tone, even though he knows how to be trivial when necessary. He is an essential figure of the literary scene of the early 17th century, a true Molière character.
Voiture is above all a style, not only in his letters (Lettres amoureuses) and his poetry but also in his prose, see for example the delightful Métamorphoses. His works were in the image of the man, gallant, teaching beautiful language and fine manners to the habitués of the Hôtel de Rambouillet. His fame was very great during his century and he remains an emblem of the 17th century.

Second edition of the Oeuvres (and first by Courbe who had just acquired the privilege) by Voiture and first edition of the Nouvelles oeuvres. Two title vignettes by Picart. A fine portrait by Champaigne.
Binding in full eighteenth-century mottled calf. Spine with raised bands handsomely decorated with fleurons and stars, fillet at tail. Red morocco title-label. Triple gilt fillet frame on boards. Decorative gilt board-edges. Marbled edges. Fine restorations to corners and headcaps. Rubbing. First leaves yellowed with small marginal dampstains. Extensive yellowing on the preliminary leaves of the Nouvelles oeuvres.
Voiture (1597-1648) was throughout his life a gallant and courtier, brilliant in the salons and playing at games. His epistolary talent earned him the distinction of making prose fashionable in France for a long time, and his poetry excels in the mannered and precious tone, even though he knows how to be trivial in turn when necessary. He is an essential figure of the literary scene of the early seventeenth century, a true Molière character.
Voiture is above all a style, not only in his letters (Lettres amoureuses) and his poetry but also in his prose, see for example the delightful Métamorphoses. His works were in the image of the man, gallant, teaching fine language and beautiful manners to the regulars of the hôtel de Rambouillet. His fame was very great during his century and he remains an emblem of the seventeenth century.

Edition illustrated with a frontispiece and a portrait of the author.
Later binding (early 19th century) in full light calf. Smooth spines decorated with gilt fillets, decorative borders and fleurons. Gilt fillet framing the boards. All edges marbled.
One corner slightly bumped and some rubbing, otherwise a fine copy.
The work contains the author's letters and various poems. Voiture (1597-1648) was throughout his life a gallant and courtier, brilliant in salons and fond of games. His epistolary talent made prose fashionable in France for a long time, and his poetry excels in the mannered and precious tone, even though he knew how to be trivial when necessary. He is an essential figure of the literary scene of the early 17th century, a true Molière character. Voiture is above all a style, not only in his letters (Lettres amoureuses) and his poetry but also in his prose, see for example the delightful Métamorphoses. His works were in the image of the man, gallant, teaching beautiful language and fine manners to the habitués of the Hôtel de Rambouillet. His fame was very great during his century and he remains an emblem of the 17th century.

Fifth edition of Voiture's Œuvres, the first of which appeared in 1648; and first edition of the Nouvelles œuvres de Voiture. A frontispiece by Mellan for the first volume, a headpiece and an initial in the epistle and a fine portrait of the author by Champaigne engraved by Nanteuil.
Contemporary full brown sheep binding. Raised spine richly decorated. Red morocco title label. One missing headcap. Tear with loss to upper joint at foot. Rubbing. Good copy.
Voiture (1597-1648) was throughout his life a gallant and a courtier, brilliant in salons and playing games. His epistolary talent earned him long popularity in France for fashionable prose, and his poetry excels in the mannered and precious tone, even though he knew how to be trivial when necessary. He is an essential figure of the literary scene of the early 17th century, a true Molière character.
Voiture is first and foremost a style, not only in his letters (Lettres amoureuses) and his poetry but also in his prose, see for example the delightful Métamorphoses. His works were in the image of the man, gallant, teaching beautiful language and fine manners to the habitués of the hôtel de Rambouillet. His fame was very great during his century and he remains an emblem for the 17th century.

Fifth edition, published at the same time as the quarto edition. The first edition dates from 1650.

Contemporary full brown sheep binding. Ornamented spine with raised bands. Red morocco title label. Lower joint partly split. Relatively invisible restorations to headcaps.

The work contains the letters and various poems of the author. Voiture (1597-1648) was throughout his life a gallant and courtier, brilliant in the salons and playing games. His epistolary talent earned him the distinction of making prose fashionable in France for a long time, and his poetry excels in the mannerist and precious tone, even though he knows how to be trivial when necessary. He is an essential figure of the literary scene of the early 17th century, a true Molière character.