Erasmus - Testamentum Novum [Rare female printer] - 1553

FIGURATIVE EDITION OF THE WIDOW REGNAULT, MATRIARCH OF 3 GENERATIONS OF TYPOGRAPHIC WOMEN
jewel of French humanist typography of the Cinquecento, this edition of Testamentum Novum printed in Paris in 1553 preserves all the charm of books intended for private reading. The woodcut apparatus, scattered along the gospel text, guides the reader on a continuous, intensely narrative visual journey. Particularly interesting is the typographic context: the edition was produced by the widow of François Regnault, Madeleine Boursette, one of the first active women printers in French editorial history, followed by her daughter and granddaughter, who maintained the female leadership of the typography up to the cusp of the new century.
MARKET VALUE
Illustrated editions of the Erasmus New Testament printed in Paris in the mid-16th century are sought after especially when they preserve decorative bindings of quality, due to the quality of the woodcuts and the historical importance of the Regnault production. Similar copies typically range from 1,000 to 3,000 euros depending on completeness, binding, and state of preservation.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Title page with a woodcut printer’s mark. Numerous woodcuts in the text. First leaves with ancient restorations along the inner margin and traces of strengthening; presence of damp stains and scattered foxing in the text. Ownership stamp on the title page and an old ex libris applied to the paste-down. Latin text printed in clear, crisp type. Back cover in full Morocco leather with straight grain, spine richly decorated in gold. An elegant copy with a strong aesthetic presence despite the missing leaves. Missing leaves: C8, D1, D8, E1 and all leaves after Y4. Leaves: 370.
Interesting ex libris on the paste-down. The crest is strongly neo-medieval, typical of the Romantic-tinged 19th-century heraldic revival.
Main elements:
Crosses and lilies: recall chivalric religious orders - Eight-pointed stars: symbol of truth, spiritual light and guidance. Higher flowers: allusion to purity - Motto “Veritas”: Truth as spiritual foundation.
The overall impression suggests an ex libris belonging to the Franco-Belgian milieu of the 19th century, influenced by post-Romantic French medievalism.
In old books, with a multi-century history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. This insert contains AI Visualizations. Refer to the original photographs to verify the actual condition of the object. The images are an integral part of the description.

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Testamentum Novum.
Parisiis, apud viduam Francisci Regnault via Iacobaea, 1553.
Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
This edition is part of the long European fortune of Erasmus’ New Testament, the text that helped redefine the relationship between philology, faith, and biblical reading in the 16th century. The small format and the rich presence of woodcuts clearly show the private and meditative destination of the volume, conceived as a personal reading object but also as a refined artifact.
Particularly important is the role of the printer Madeleine Boursette, widow of François Regnault. Although the title page simply says “vidua,” the printer’s mark bears her initials. Boursette was one of the first French women printers and inaugurated a true female editorial dynasty, carried on by her daughter and granddaughter. The volume thus gains further historical interest as a testimony to the presence of women in Renaissance European publishing.
BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466-1536) was the most influential European humanist of the Renaissance. Philologist, theologian, and prolific author, he promoted a critical rereading of Scripture based on recovering the original Greek sources and using philological reason. His editorial activity and thought deeply marked the religious culture of the 16th century.
PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
The Regnault workshops were among the main centers of Parisian religious printing in the 16th century. After François Regnault’s death, the activity was continued by the widow Madeleine Boursette, a fundamental figure in the history of European female publishing. The small illustrated editions of the New Testament circulated widely among ecclesiastics, students, and educated readers, but their intensive daily use makes surviving figurated copies relatively rare today.
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Adams, H.M., Catalogue of Books Printed on the Continent of Europe 1501-1600 in Cambridge Libraries.
Renouard, Philippe, Imprimeurs et libraires parisiens du XVIe siècle, Paris.
Baudrier, Henri, Bibliographie lyonnaise.
Brunet, Jacques-Charles, Manuel du libraire et de l’amateur de livres, II.
Graesse, Johann Georg Theodor, Trésor de livres rares et précieux, III.
Bezzel, Irmgard, Erasmusdrucke des 16. Jahrhunderts.
McMurtrie, Douglas C., The Book: The Story of Printing & Bookmaking.
USTC – Universal Short Title Catalogue, Erasmus editions, Paris, Regnault, 1553.
CERL Thesaurus, entries “Regnault, François” and “Boursette, Madeleine.”
BnF – Catalogue général.
WorldCat – international catalogues of Regnault editions.
ICCU / EDIT16 – repertories of 16th-century French editions present in Italian libraries.
Studi sulla tipografia femminile francese del XVI secolo.