Montesquieu / André Hubert - Lettres Persanes - 1966-1967

Beautiful two-volume set, numbered and illustrated with 30 illustrations in the text and plate, 16 in-text, frontispiece of volume 1 on a double page, numerous sepia drawings in the margins of every page, and numerous polychrome ornaments by André Hubert (the illustrations have been enhanced with hand colors in the Atelier d'Art of Editions de l'Ibis) -

This major 18th-century epistolary novel features the fictitious correspondence of two Persian travelers, Usbek and Rica, discovering French and European society, allowing the author to offer a critical and ironic view of the institutions, customs and values of his time -

Through these letters, Montesquieu analyzes the monarchy, religion, justice, social inequalities and human behavior, using the foreign gaze as a distancing device that reveals the contradictions and absurdities of Western society -

The work also explores themes of despotism, liberty, cultural relativism and the condition of women, notably through the depiction of Usbek’s seraglio, which highlights tensions between authority and the desire for emancipation -

The style blends satire, philosophy and narration, alternating between light observations and deep reflections, allowing it to reach a wide audience while offering a rigorous critique inspired by the Enlightenment spirit -

Charles Montesquieu / André Hubert - Lettres Persanes - 1966/1967 - Volume I and II - Editions de l'Ibis -
155 and 180 pages

Very good condition of bindings, volumes in burgundy sheepskin leather bindings, forming a portfolio, Moorish-inspired decor, embossed gilt and off-white ornament motifs, housed in burgundy, claret and red marbled slipcases, interior lined with gray velvet, light signs of wear, top edges gilt, smooth spines with gilded motifs, gilt titles -

Very good interior condition, the work enriched with 30 illustrations outside the text, 16 in the text, frontispiece of volume 1 on a double page, numerous sepia drawings in the margins of every page, and numerous polychrome ornaments by André Hubert (the illustrations have been enhanced with hand colors in the Atelier d'Art of Editions de l'Ibis), copy No. 714 on Lana vellum cloth from Papeteries de Lana, out of 1000 copies, marbled endpapers in very good condition, a very fine copy, bright interior -

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