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an open book with a hand holding a glove on top of itan old book sitting on top of a white surfacean old book with a brown cover sitting on top of a white surfacean old book with a brown cover sitting on top of a white surfacean open book with a picture of a man in a crown on itan open book with a picture of a man and a woman on itan open book with a skeleton hand resting on top of itan open book with a picture of a woman sitting on a chairan old book with a picture of a man on itan open book with a picture of a man riding on a horsean open book with a drawing of a man kneeling down in front of a group of peoplean open book with a key on top of itan old book with writing on it sitting on a tablean old book with writing on it sitting on top of a table
KÂ- MONDO / KAPANDJI MORHANGE

219 - KEMPIS, Thomas A. and ROSWEYDE, Héribert (trans.). The Imita…
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Estimate €150 - €200
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Description
KEMPIS, Thomas A. and ROSWEYDE, Héribert (trans.). The Imitation of Christ. Divided into four Books. A rare translation of this work, which stems from the Devotio moderna movement, illustrated with several intaglio plates, headpieces and tailpieces. Paris, Imprimerie Royale [Sébastien Cramoisy], 1652. 8vo, fawn calfskin, ribbed spine decorated with fleurons surrounded by gilded palmettes, title label in garnet-red morocco, blue marbled edges. 17 unnumbered folios – 491 pp. – 6 unnumbered folios, 4 full-page engravings, the same number of tailpieces, and 5 engraved initials and headpieces. Scuffs, missing cap bands, corners bumped. Water damage up to p. 33, minor foxing and slightly browned leaves. A very fine illustrated edition of this great classic of the Devotio Moderna; this French version contains four plates and as many tailpieces, as well as five headpieces and initials, all engraved on copper. This version is based on the translation by Héribert Rosweyde (1569–1629), a Belgian Jesuit. It predates that of Pierre Corneille, which was to become the most widely circulated version until the 19th century. There are annotations in graphite and ink on the first folio, and a bookplate stamped ‘Louis Debacq’. Charles Errard (1606–1689), a painter of the ‘Grand Siècle’, created the full-page compositions; two of these were executed in intaglio engraving by Charles Audran (1594–1674), as well as by Pierre Daret (1604–1678) and Gilles Rousselet (1610–1686, here spelt ‘G. Roustelet’). This anonymous work is generally attributed to Thomas von Kempen (c. 1380–1471), a Dutch monk associated with the movement of modern devotion, a religious philosophy of the late Middle Ages that undeniably shaped everyday spiritual practice in the Burgundian Netherlands. It is “one of the greatest bestsellers Europe has known from the late Middle Ages to the early modern era” (Yann Sordet). A fine copy, rare. Sources: - Yann Sordet, Un succès de librairie européen : l’Imitatio Christi (1470–1850), Paris, Bibliothèque Mazarine; Editions des cendres, 2012, p. 11.
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About the sale Miscellaneous Books
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Auction time 07/06/2026 at 2:00 PM
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