Ovidio - Art d’Aimer - 1759

The art of loving in the century of the salons, when Ovid becomes gallant and dangerous.
This refined eighteenth-century edition of Ovid's Ars amatoria, presented as a 'new poem in six cantos,' is a perfect example of a modern rewriting of the ancient classic, filtered through the gallant and narrative taste of the French Enlightenment. It is not merely a translation but a literary adaptation that reinvents Ovid for salon audiences, softening Latin erudition in favor of narrative grace and sentimental elegance. The engravings accompany the text as true visual comments, placing the art of love within a theatrical setting composed of gardens, temples, and codified gestures. The volume stands midway between libertine literature and moral classicism, embodying a typically eighteenth-century tension between desire, irony, and social control.
Market value
In the antique market, this illustrated edition generally falls within a range of 300 to 500 euros for complete copies with the plates and Zulni's Letter with its corresponding Response. The presence of the original full leather binding, even with signs of wear, and the completeness of the iconographic material positively influence the valuation.

Physical description and condition
Full leather binding of the same period, with a spine featuring raised bands, compartments, and gilded decorations. Frontispiece with a typographic floral motif, seven engraved plates outside the text. Complete copy, including the Letter from Zulni to Zulni and his Response, bound at the end of the volume. Pages with some foxing and signs of aging; general wear to the binding. In old books with a multi-century history, some imperfections may be present that are not always noted in the description. Pp. (6); 32; 262; (6).

Full title and author
The Art of Loving, a new poem in six chants.
London, at the expense of the Company, 1759.
Publio Ovidio Nasone


Context and Significance
The work fits into the long tradition of modern reinterpretations of Ars amatoria, but stands out for the literary ambition of its author-editor, Fr.-Étienne Gouge de Cessières, who aims to make Ovid compatible with the moral and narrative taste of the 18th century. The division into six cantos, the use of elegant and discursive French, and the iconographic apparatus transform the Latin poem into a cultivated sentimental manual, aimed at a worldly audience. The presence of the final letters, with a pseudo-oriental and dialogic tone, reinforces the narrative and theatrical character of the volume, expanding its literary dimension beyond a simple classical reworking.

Biography of the Author
Publius Ovidius Naso was born in Sulmona in 43 BC and died in exile in Tomi around 17 AD. He was one of the greatest poets of the Augustan age and author of fundamental works such as the Metamorphoses, the Fasti, and the Ars amatoria. A master of formal elegance and irony, Ovid transformed myth and love into literary tools of extraordinary modernity. It was precisely the Ars amatoria, with its free and intelligent view of desire, that earned him the hostility of the imperial power and exile, yet it also contributed to his lasting fame in European culture.

Printing history and circulation
The French editions of the Arte di amare experienced significant dissemination in the 18th century, often in adapted or paraphrased form to bypass moral censorship and make the text more acceptable to the modern audience. The London edition of 1759, although in French, took advantage of greater English editorial freedom, allowing for a rich illustrative apparatus and a bolder textual presentation compared to continental prints.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Cohen-de Ricci, M., Guide for the Amateur of 18th Century Books with Engravings, Paris.
Brunet, J.-C., Manual of the bookseller and book lover, Paris.
Praz, M., Flesh, Death, and the Devil in 18th Century Literature, Paris.