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an old book with a red cover sitting on top of a white surfacea book that is open on a white surfacean old book with writing on it sitting on top of a tablean open book with a picture of a man and a woman on itan old book with a black and white image of a horsean old book with writing on it that is openan old book with writing on it sitting on a tablean open book with a picture of a man on ita book with a page in it on a table
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93 - [DU BELLAY (Joachim)]. The Defence and Illustration of the F…
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Estimate €400 - €500
Sale commission
Description
[DU BELLAY (Joachim)]. The Defence and Illustration of the French Language. A rare offprint, printed in the 16th century, of the famous manifesto by the poets of the Pléiade, bound in an 18th-century binding. No place, no publisher, undated. A small 12mo volume (140 x 75 mm), in full marbled and glazed tan calfskin, with a simple fillet edging on the covers, a plain spine decorated with gilt tools and a long red morocco label bearing the title along its length, red edges. 38 leaves. Slight rubbing, fragments missing from both headbands. A fine 16th-century printing, with the epistle and ‘To the Reader’ in italics, the remainder in round type. Wood-engraved typographical ornaments. ‘La Défense et illustration de la langue française’ was first published in 1549, then reprinted in the collected editions of 1568, 1574, 1575, 1584, 1592 and 1597. Today, this text is regarded as a seminal manifesto, having laid the foundations of the modern language and poetry by promoting French over Latin and theorising poetic creation as an act of cultural emancipation. A fresh and clean copy.
See original version (French)
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About the sale Fine antique and collectible books, manuscripts and modern illustrated works
Auction location
Auction time 06/29/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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