Erasme & M. Gueudeville / Holbein - L’éloge de la folie, composé en forme de déclamation - 1777

Rare and superb illustrated edition of 74 in-text vignettes and numerous folding plates (a few crumpled and soiled), all engraved after Hans Holbein, with Gueudeville's translation and Gérard Listre's notes -

Written at the beginning of the 16th century, this text adopts the form of a fictional speech delivered by Folly herself, who sets out to celebrate her own merits and to demonstrate that she actually governs human life -

Under this ironic device, Erasmus delivers a biting critique of the vices of his era: the vanity of scholars, the hypocrisy of the clergy, the ambitions of princes, popular superstitions, the rigidity of theologians, and the absurdities of the social world -

Folly appears as a universal power, omnipresent in human behavior, not only as a weakness but also as the engine of sociability, pleasure, love, and even happiness -

Erasmus & M. Gueudeville / Holbein - The Praise of Folly, composed in the form of a declamation - 1777 - Samuel Fauche -
234 pp -

Good binding condition, work in its full marbled calf of the period, wear from use, some minor defects on boards and spine, small snag on the headcaps, spine and corners worn, marbled edges, smooth spine adorned, gilt titling on morocco inlay, gold fillets framing the boards -

Good interior condition, browning, partial halo on half the work, angular loss on the leaf of pages 227-228 with loss of a few words, beautiful vignette on the title page, enriched with 74 in-text vignettes and numerous folding plates (some creased and soiled), all engraved after Hans Holbein, with Gueudeville's translation and Gérard Listre's notes, endpapers in decent condition, good copy -

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