?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 4,000 - $ 6,000
(SANGORSKI & SUTCLIFFE.) Montespan, Françoise Athénaîs Rochechouart, Marquise de. Memoirs of Madame La Marquise de Montespan. Frontispiece portraits. 2 volumes. 8vo, beautiful cosway-style bindings of crimson crushed morocco, richly gilt and inlaid, by Sangorski & Sutcliffe, featuring double-fillet borders, the first volume with inlaid circular turquoise morocco centerpiece modeled after 1692 King Louis XIV coin with a border of gold leaves and a crown, the other cover with a diamond floral design, both with floral border with blue calf petal details, joints tender and starting on Volume 1, portraits on doublures detailed in note; all edges gilt and gauffered; rear joint on Volume 2 expertly repaired. London: H. S. Nichols & Co., 1895
one of 500 sets of the first edition in english. each volume with a hand-painted miniature on ivory and inset under glass in recessed compartments on front doublures of crushed royal blue morocco with color calf floral details and gilt rules. The portrait in the first volume shows Madame de Montespan and the second shows Madame de Maintenon. Madame de Montespan became the mistress of Louis XIV in 1667 after he left Louise de la Vallière (whose portrait frontispiece appears in Volume Two), eventually producing seven children for the king. The memoirs address her history with the King as well as her relationship with Madame de Maintenon, who would usurp her place as mistress. She eventually retired to the Convent of St. Joseph where she donated generously to charities and became patron and friend of authors such as Corneille, Racine, and La Fontaine.
