Publisher: Paris: (not stated, as common in such Paris printings), 1792.

Illustration: Engraved portrait frontispiece of the author (after Largillière, engraved by Delvaux)

Edition: Collected edition

Binding: Contemporary full mottled calf, spines richly gilt in compartments with floral tooling, contrasting red morocco labels for title and volume numbers, gilt roll-tooling to board edges.

Description: Complete in three volumes, this 1792 Paris edition gathers the chef-d’œuvres of Philippe Néricault Destouches, one of the most celebrated French dramatists of the 18th century. A protégé of Voltaire, Destouches was renowned for his comedies of manners and character, including Le Philosophe Marié (shown here), Le Glorieux, and Le Dissipateur. His plays—morally earnest yet witty—satirized social climbing, vanity, and hypocrisy, and were widely performed at the Comédie-Française throughout the 18th century.

Condition: Good to Very Good. Three volumes, complete with portrait frontispiece. Contemporary calf worn at extremities; spines rubbed with loss to gilt, headcaps chipped, corners bumped. Boards show surface wear but remain solid. Hinges starting in places but all bindings firm. Interiors clean and crisp, with only mild foxing or toning. Engraved portrait sharp and well-inked. A solid, uniform, and appealing set.

Annotation: A complete three-volume Paris 1792 edition of the chef-d’œuvres of Néricault Destouches, in contemporary gilt-tooled calf, with engraved portrait frontispiece. A fine Revolutionary-era collection of Enlightenment drama, bridging the tradition of Molière with the moralist stage of the 18th century.

Item #145

Price: $350.00