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1054 - [Illuminated manuscript]. Reflections on some of the words o…
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Estimate €4,000 - €5,000
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Description
[Illuminated manuscript]. Reflections on some of the words of Jesus Christ. In particular, on the seven last words he spoke on the Cross. To serve as a holy meditation for the Christian soul during Mass. Paris, Antoine de Villars, c. 1690. In-12 manuscript (10.5 x 16.5 cm) in brown ink, comprising (70) folios. framed in red and green ink, red morocco leather, decorated ribbed spine, gilt scrolls and corner motifs on the covers, gilt edges on marbled paper (contemporary binding) An exceptional illuminated manuscript dedicated to Madame de Maintenon, the second known work by the artist and calligrapher Antoine de Villars to bear her name, who in 1690 produced *Heures royalles offertes au roi Louis XIV*; both works, of remarkable craftsmanship, are in the same format and feature identical handwriting and style. These *Reflections on Some Sayings of Jesus Christ* were intended for the young ladies of Saint-Cyr at the Royal House of Saint-Louis, founded in 1686 by Louis XIV at the request of Madame de Maintenon, née Françoise d’Aubigné (1635–1719), the King’s second wife. A brilliant calligrapher, Antoine de Villars, ‘residing on Rue Saint-Thomas du Louvre in Paris’, appears to be otherwise unknown. The fully coloured illustration comprises a frontispiece bearing a coat of arms, the title within a frame with a curtain border in red, blue and mauve ink, six full-page pen-and-ink drawings introducing the prayers (Christ on the cross against a background of tears, trophies on a black background, framed titles), 15 vignettes or culs-de-lampe (rocaille, floral compositions) and 17 framed initials on a pink or greyish background. The same collection appeared at the end of the 17th century, entirely engraved on copper by Nicolas Bonnart, with an identical dedication to Madame de Maintenon signed N.d.T. (instead of the initials A.d.V. in this manuscript). A small tear on folio (52) with no loss of paper; a few folios are slightly scorched, with minor foxing and water stains. A precious handwritten prayer book from the late 17th century, richly illuminated with gold highlights, preserved in its original red morocco binding. (Collection of a bibliophile, precious books and manuscripts, 1478–1977 (auction, Paris, Drouot Richelieu, 2018), Heures Royalles, no. 56.)
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About the sale MONTIGNAC – 31st BOOK SALE – Day 2 of 4 – Nos. 550 to 1084
Auction location
Auction time 08/20/2026 at 11:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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