Sothebys : (English) "Du coté de chez Swann" by Marcel Proust achieved over half million euros at Sotheby's Paris

Press release Paris

Paris | 33 (0)1 53 05 53 66 | Sophie Dufresne | [e-mail]

33 (0)1 53 05 52 32 | Claire Jehl | [e-mail]

DU COTE DE CHEZ SWANN BY MARCEL PROUST

achieves over half a million euros at Sotheby's, Paris

Paris, 30 October 2017: With a total of €1.7 million, the books and manuscripts sale at Sotheby's Paris was a resounding success, as reflected the percentage of lots sold: 80 % by lots and 87 % by value - a record rate for any various owners book auction in France, stalwartly maintained by Sotheby's in an ultra-competitive market.

Today's results were dominated by exceptional prices for Proust, Sade, Piranesi, Les Droits de l'Homme (Declaration of the Rights of Man) of 1793 and Saint-Exupéry, which inspired some impressive bidding battles in a packed room.

The highest price was for one of five very rare copies of Marcel Proust's Du côté de chez Swann (Swann's Way) on Japanese paper. Great collectors fought for this Proustian Holy Grail all the way up to over half a million euros (lot 151, €535,500).

Registration no. 2001 - 002 of 25 October 2001 Sale conducted by Filippo Lotti

This first edition is a genuine rediscovery, because its last public appearance was in 1942, when it was bought by the bibliophile Roland Saucier, manager of the Gallimard bookshop. He kept it until his death. This copy first belonged to Louis Brun, éminence grise to Bernard Grasset and general secretary of the eponymous publishing house, who had been in charge of publications. He had many letters and manuscripts sent by Proust bound into the back of his copy: two manuscripts of articles to be published in the Figaro, promoting Swann's release, and six letters - one to Bernard Grasset and five to Louis Brun.

Another keenly sought-after lot was a set of unpublished critical autograph commentaries by the Marquis de Sade on 12 original drawings: preliminary illustrations for his most scandalous novel, L'Histoire de Juliette (titled simply Juliette in English). At €162,500, this largely exceeded its high estimate (lot 35).

An extraordinary copy of Piranesi's Views of Rome - 107 prints published during the artist's lifetime, between 1760 and 1775, in a period binding - fetched one of the highest prices in the sale, making three time its high estimate at €110,000 (lot 28).

The sensational Déclaration des Droits de l'Homme, which appeared during the Reign of Terror, was sold at nearly €90,000 (lot 34, €87,500). There is only one known copy of this monumental document in gouache on wallpaper, intended for a public venue where the Revolution was taking shape.

Lastly, some remarkable correspondence of Saint-Exupéry, written to his childhood friend Charles Sallès, largely exceeded its estimate at €77,500 (lot 154). Illustrated and mostly unpublished, these letters convey Saint-Exupéry's melancholic humour, show his talents as a draughtsman, and speak of his dreams as a writer and pilot, his student years when he failed his final exams at naval college, and the first exploits of the Aéropostale.

Preemptions

Jean de Tinan - Un document sur l'impuissance d'aimer, (1890-1894).

Signed autograph manuscript of the first published book by Jean de Tinan, with an envoi to Marie Lepel-Cointet, dated 15 August 1894.

Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal. - €8,125 (lot 73)

Georges Bataille - La Méduse (1937-1939)

Unpublished manuscript, complete text of a draft play by the author, with an original drawing. Bibliothèque Nationale de France - €17,500 (lot 86)

Marcel Broodthaers - Un coup de dé jamais n'abolira le hasard (1969)

Publication inspired by Stéphane Mallarmé's poem. Rare copy on tracing paper, one of 90 numbered in the artist's hand (no. 62) and signed.

Centre Georges Pompidou - €12,500 (lot 99)

*Estimates do not include the buyer's premium, and prices consist of the hammer price and the buyer's premium

Images are available on request

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