one Hundred and five years after the publication of his first volume, we always «in search of lost time». In Paris, the original edition of Du côté de chez Swann of Marcel Proust is a party on Friday to 1.51 million euros, a world record for an original work in French, a-t-on learned from the house Sotheby s. This copy was extremely rare, bearing the n° 1 and offered by Proust, Lucien Daudet, estimated to be between 600,000 and 800,000 euros, came from the library of Pierre Bergé dispersed at auction at Drouot.
» READ – Proust, a columnist at Figaro
The previous record for an original work in French was held since 2009 by an original edition of Flowers of evil of Baudelaire was sold at the time for 775.000 euros. «I am very happy. The market has endorsed the taste of Pierre Bergé,» said the expert Benoît Forgeot to the AFP.
Library of Pierre Bergé
The fourth sale of the library of Pierre Bergé was reported in a total of 8.10 million euro, double the low estimate. In addition to Du côté de chez Swann , an original edition of Trials of Montaigne has been sold 682.000 euros (estimate: 400.000/500.000€).
» READ ALSO – When Proust wrote to the Figaro to get a laudatory article
One of the first translations in French of Lives of Plutarch , one of the books to the bedside of the Renaissance, has been sold 671.780 euros. This manuscript on parchment, illustrated with 54 paintings full-page was estimated to be between 400,000 and 600,000 euros.
a masterpiece of the Renaissance, considered the foundational book of botany, modern, historia stirpium («the history Of plants, 1542) by Leonhart Fuchs was sold for 425.000 euros. Illustrated by 512 plates engraved on wood, entirely painted at the time, the herbarium of Fuchs is the true appearance of the design science in botany.
