1 / 13
an old book that is open on a white surfacean old book with a black and white image of a coat of armsan old book sitting on top of a white table next to a white wallan old book with writing on it sitting on a tablean old book with a fancy design on itan open book with a picture of a dragon on ita book with a page in it that has a picture of a horse on itan old book with a black and white design on itan old book with writing on it sitting on a tablean old book that is open and has a picture on ita book with writing on it sitting on a tablean open book with a picture of a man on itan old book with writing on it sitting on a table
Premium KÂ- MONDO / KAPANDJI MORHANGE

92 - DU BELLAY (Joachim). Les OEuvres françoises, revised & furth…
See original version (French)

Estimate €500 - €700
Sale commission
Description
DU BELLAY (Joachim). Les OEuvres françoises, revised & further expanded. A fine, "very complete" and "sought-after" collected edition, including the famous "Défense et illustration de la langue française". Paris, Abel l'Angelier, 1584. One volume in-12 (132x80mm), later binding in a piece of old vellum, soft covers, spine decorated with the author’s name and date in black handwritten letters, soft fastenings. [12] ff., 583 ff., [numerous pagination errors]. Complete. Title slightly faded, minor marginal tears with no loss of text, the rest fresh. Margins trimmed somewhat short during binding, with damage to the text on the headbands of folios 549–562 (Discourse to the King on the matter of the four estates…). This fourth collective edition, edited by Frédéric Morel, Abel l'Angelier and Jean Houzé, is very well printed in italic type and adorned with headbands and initials. It opens with the famous manifesto "The Defence and Illustration of the French Language", the only text printed in roman type. During the reign of Francis I, a group of poets, the most famous of whom were Pierre de Ronsard (1524–1585) and Joachim du Bellay (1522–1560), formed a movement known as the Pléiade, whose ambition was to extol the poetic power of the French language. Ten years after the signing of the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts, Du Bellay published in 1549: *Défense et illustration de la langue française*, a manifesto that is both literary and political. Brunet, Manuel du libraire, I, 749.- Cat. Jean-Paul Barbier, III, 42. A well-preserved copy.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
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
You may also like