Livres rares et Manuscrits

Livres rares et Manuscrits

Sale Overview

Le département Livres et Manuscrits de Christie’s Paris est ravi de proposer à la vente une superbe sélection d’ouvrages anciens et modernes, couvrant sept siècles d’histoire du livre. Parmi les lots phares, citons le Voyage en Orient de Louis de Clercq (1859-1860), en six albums photographiques sur papier albuminé, ainsi que l’exemplaire le plus désirable qui soit de l’édition originale de Salomé d’Oscar Wilde : celui de l’auteur, enluminé pour lui de dessins originaux par Max Beerbohm, puis offert par Wilde à son amant, Robert Ross.

De belles provenances de toutes époques rythment la vente : une reliure réalisée pour Jean Grolier, deux ouvrages passés par la bibliothèque du grand Colbert, et d’autres ayant appartenu à la fantasque mécène chilienne et basque Eugenia Errazuriz, amie de Picasso et Apollinaire.

La section moderne inclut notamment un exemplaire de tête du Visage de la paix d’Eluard, orné d’un dessin original de Picasso, ainsi qu’un exemplaire très enrichi de l’édition originale de Cinq sapates de Ponge, orné d’un envoi illustré par Braque, dans une merveilleuse reliure mosaïquée de Pierre-Lucien Martin.

Sont également présents dans la vente plusieurs ensembles prestigieux : des exemplaires avec envoi au surréaliste belge E.L.T. Mesens, les livres de la collection Daniel Abadie, l’ensemble d’ouvrages Art Déco de Pierre et Nicole Corrard, ainsi que les livres d’artistes de l’ancienne collection Suzy et Daniel Lelong.

Enfin, des manuscrits inédits d’Albert Camus et du Corbusier attireront aussi les collectionneurs.

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Christie’s Paris Books and Manuscripts department is delighted to offer for sale a superb selection of rare ancient and modern works, spanning seven centuries of book history. Highlights include a copy of the monumental Voyage en Orient by Louis de Clercq (1859-1860), in six photographic albums on albumen paper, and the most desirable copy of the first edition of Oscar Wilde’s Salomé: the author’s own copy, illuminated for him with original drawings by Max Beerbohm, and later gifted by Wilde himself to his lover, Robert Ross.

The sale features remarkable provenances from all eras: a binding made for Jean Grolier, two books that belonged to the library of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, and others owned by the eccentric Chilean-Basque patron Eugenia Errazuriz, a friend of Picasso and Apollinaire.

The modern section includes a deluxe copy of Eluard’s Visage de la paix, enriched with an original drawing by Picasso, as well as a copy of the original edition of Ponge’s Cinq sapates, inscribed by Braque with an original drawing and magnificently bound by Pierre-Lucien Martin.

Several prestigious collections are also offered in the sale: numerous copies inscribed to Belgian surrealist poet E.L.T. Mesens, books from the Daniel Abadie collection, the Art Deco selection of Pierre and Nicole Corrard, and artist books from the former Suzy and Daniel Lelong collection.

Finally, unpublished manuscripts by Albert Camus and Le Corbusier will also attract collectors.

Auction times
22 Oct 12:00 AM (CEST)

Brought to you by

Roxane Ricros

Roxane Ricros

Co-head of sale | Books & Manuscripts

After two years of preparatory class with a special focus on Literature and Philosophy, Roxane Ricros graduated with two Master's degrees in Business and Law, that she obtained with Honors for her Master's thesis on the French art market law. She also studied Art History at L'Ecole du Louvre while working at the Books department of a major French auction house. Roxane joined Christie's in 2022 as a Cataloguer in the Books and Manuscripts department in Paris, and has since then contributed to major successes including The Paul Destribats Bibliothèque des Avant-Gardes part 5 (€2,240,809).
Vincent Belloy

Vincent Belloy

Co-head of sale | Books & Manuscripts

Vincent Belloy is a Specialist in the Books and Manuscript department at Christie’s Paris. With two master's degrees from the Sorbonne where he studied Medieval History and Art, with a special focus on heraldry and the history of colours, he joined Christie’s in 2016. Since then, Vincent has contributed to major successes, including the sales of the collections of Juan de Beistegui (totalling €1,970,000 with 100% of lots sold for the books section), Marc Litzler (€4,400,000), Alfred Cortot, Martine de Béhague and the Counts of Ganay and Paul Destribats (with a running total of €13,900,000 after the first three parts).

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