uvres complètes Complete Works
178488246s. l. Kehl: Imprimerie de la Société Littéraire-Typographique 1784. Fine. « Divine Voltaire ora pro nobis ! » Exceptional copy on large paper and contemporary binding Imprimerie de la Société Littéraire-Typographique s. l. Kehl 1784-1789 14 x 21.7 cm 70 vol. reliés The Kehl edition the most renowned edition of Voltaire's works illustrated and published on deluxe paper. It was printed on five different types of paper and only the deluxe editions such as ours on laid paper feature engravings. These are naturally the most sought-after and rarest copies. Binding in full painted sheep decorated with a honeycomb motif smooth spine tooled with gilt fleurons fillets and compartments light beige calf lettering and volume pieces gilt chain-roll border on covers marbled endpapers gilt roll on edges all edges marbled contemporary binding. Two volumes nos. 50 and 70 with slight variations in gilt tools on the spines and with orange morocco lettering pieces edges and covers treated somewhat differently. General condition of the 70 volumes: bindings with light rubbing to corners gilt a little dulled occasional foxing a few wormholes and old restorations not affecting the text. 28 volumes vols. 4 5 8 10 11 13 16 17 19 20 24 27 28 33 34 35 36 37 43 48 61 62 63 65 66 67 68 70 with cracked joints at the ends and 20 volumes vols. 8 11 12 14 16 18 33 34 37 42 46 49 53 56 57 60 65 66 68 70 with damaged caps. Two editions were published at the same time. Our copy belongs to the prestigious in-8 edition on large paper published in 70 volumes the other edition being in-12 format in 92 volumes. It is richly illustrated with 125 etched plates: - There are 17 portraits including 3 of Voltaire: a frontispiece portrait by N. de Largillière engraved by P. Alex. Tardieu; one drawn from Houdon's bust by Moreau le Jeune and engraved by P. Alex. Tardieu; and one allegorical portrait by Louis Croutelle after Moreau le Jeune belonging to the second series of illustrations of Voltaire's works executed by Moreau for the publisher Renouard. The 14 other portraits include an allegorical frontispiece of Frédéric-Guillaume Prince of Prussia depicted in profile in a medallion by Dambrun after Moreau le Jeune; a portrait of Henry IV by Pourbus engraved by Tardieu; one of Charles VII engraved after the original in the King's Cabinet by Mavieri; another of Agnès Sorel drawn by Moreau the Younger after the original in the King's Cabinet and engraved by Mavieri; one of Joan of Arc engraved by Beisson; followed by the Count of Dunois engraved after the original in the King's Cabinet by J. B. Fosseyeux; one of Louis XIV drawn by Moreau Le Jeune after C. Le Brun engraved by J. B. Fosseyeux; one of Charles XII engraved by P. Alex. Tardieu after the original in the King's Cabinet; one of Pierre I engraved by P. G. Langlois after a painting by L. Caravaque; one of Madame du Châtelet after Marie Anne Loir and engraved by P. G. Langlois; one of the Count of Argental after J. Defraine and engraved by J. B. Fosseyeux; one of Frédéric II of Prussia painted from life by Van Loo and engraved by P. G. Langlois; one of Catherine II of Russia engraved by J. B. Fosseyeux; and one of d'Alembert after De La Tour engraved by N. F. Maviez. - 93 engravings by Moreau le Jeune including 44 figures for le Théâtre engraved by Lingée Simonet de Launay Trière Halbou Duclos Romanet Dambrun de Longueil Delignon Le Mire Le Veau 10 for la Henriade engraved by Masquelier Delignon Dambrun Patas Gutemberg Helman Simonet Duclos Romanet 21 for la Pucelle engraved by Simonet Dambrun Halbou Baquoy Trière Delignon de Longueil Croutelle and Duclos 4 for the Contes in verse engraved by Langlois Duclos Delignon and Le Veau and 14 for the Romans engraved by Trière Duclos de Longueil Dambrun Baquoy Delignon Simonet Langlois and Halbou. - 14 scientific plates in volume 31 illustrating the experiments of Newton Descartes and Leibniz. - 1 battle Imprimerie de la Société Littéraire-Typographique unknown
