Honoré de Balzac [Provenance : Józef Ignacy Kraszewski, Pologne] - Physiologie du Mariage [EO reliure aux armes] - 1830

Honoré de Balzac [Provenance: Józef Ignacy Kraszewski, Poland]

Physiology of Marriage. Meditations on Eclectic Philosophy, on conjugal happiness and unhappiness, published by a young single man.

Paris, Levavasseur and Urbain Canel, 1830 [imprimerie de A. Barbier, Rue des Marais S.-G., No. 17]

2 volumes in-8 (207 x 136 mm) by XXXV-(5)-332 [i.e., 328, the last page being misnumbered as 332 instead of 328], 352 pages.

Binding from the period, half-dark blue/brown leather with wide corners, dark green textured paper covers, thick gold borders on the covers, smooth spine decorated along its length with a large typical iron tool from the period (around 1840), marbled paper endpapers and liners, armorial gold stamped iron on the first cover of each volume (about 32 x 23 mm). See provenance. Slight wear on the bindings, otherwise very well preserved. Foxing. Very light staining without consequence on the margins of a few leaves.

Original edition

The publication of the Physiology of Marriage caused a scandal, but all of Paris considered it an event, and the success for Balzac was unprecedented, especially since people wanted to know who was hiding behind the anonymous signature of the young bachelor who immediately became a fashionable author (1830). Part essay, meditation, and narrative, the text oscillates between a study of customs and an analytical treatise. It is in this latter genre that the fifth edition of the work (Furne) classified the piece in 1846 within the section of Analytical Studies of the Human Comedy. Despite its daring nature (for the time), its structure being somewhat unconventional for Balzac's novels, the Physiology laid the foundations for the Human Comedy.

Completed at A. Barbier's around December 20, 1829, and recorded in the Bibliographie de la France on December 26, the title pages of the two volumes are post-dated. This work was already in progress in 1826, according to Honoré de Balzac's own statements when he was a printer. From this first draft, composed of 128 octavo pages without a title page, we have a copy printed by Balzac but not published. The text is bound by Balzac himself with the 'Histoire de la Rage' of his father, Bernard-François Balzac (this first draft was published in the collection 'les Bibliophiles de l'originale', volume XXV, by J.-A. Dacourneau). It was only towards the end of 1829 that Balzac saw his volume published, thanks to the two booksellers Levavasseur and Canel. The printed introduction at the head of the first volume is dated December 15, 1829, and signed H. B... C. We know that these two volumes were printed in 1,500 copies (without reprints), and Balzac received a total of 1,500 francs, 'payable in their joint notes one year from the date.' Balzac wrote shortly before submitting his copy to the printers: 'The most beautiful girl in the world can only give what she has. I work all day on the Physiology of Marriage. I only give six hours at night, from nine to two (sic), to the Scenes of Private Life, which I only need to proofread; and my conscience is clear.'

Provenance: Copy from the library of the Polish writer Joseph Ignace Kraszewski (1812-1887), with his gilded arms on the cover of each volume (Jastrzębiec clan). Józef Ignacy Kraszewski is one of the most renowned and prolific Polish authors of the 19th century. He authored no less than 800 volumes of novels and other literary works. Kraszewski's possession of a copy bound with his arms of the original edition of Balzac's 'Physiologie du Mariage' is of great interest. Indeed, Kraszewski, in his numerous writings, was directly influenced by Balzac. Like him, he wrote historical and social novels. As early as 1832, in a letter dated July 29th to his mother, he informed her that he was translating Balzac. He continued to write about Balzac's published works. Some passages from Kraszewski's books even appear to be directly inspired by episodes from the French writer's novels. Kraszewski admired Balzac for his keen observation, his ability to vividly capture human actions, interpret them convincingly, and present them in a fitting light. Kraszewski distinguished two types of writers in Balzac. The first, eager for fame and eager to retain his audience, produced novels that astonished with their deliberate oddity. According to Kraszewski, in this aspect, Balzac was entirely immoral, as in 'Physiologie du Mariage,' which he calls a 'bad book' (he read this copy), and the 'Contes drolatiques,' which he describes as an 'abominable book.' 'Moreover,' he adds, 'no one reads them, although these works reveal, despite everything, immense talent.' The second type of writer is Balzac who creates books such as 'Le Médecin de campagne,' 'César Birotteau,' 'Eugénie Grandet,' etc.; they contain nothing immoral and, from a social perspective, are not inferior to masterpieces of the genre.' We do not know under what conditions this copy of 'Physiologie du Mariage' found its place in Jozef Kraszewski's library. However, we do know the close ties that linked Balzac and the Slavic world, particularly in relation to the long history between the French writer and Mme Hanska, along with the travels associated with it.

References: Balzac and the Slavic World. Balzac in Poland, by Sophie de Korwin-Piotrowska (H. Champion ed., 1933), numerous mentions of Kraszewski/Balzac; Armorial of the Jastrzębiec clan (online); The Woman, a User's Guide. Balzac, from The Physiology of Marriage, The Human Comedy. Nicholasville (Kentucky): French Forum Publishers, 1992. The original edition is described as 'rare and sought after' (Clouzot, p. 19), indicating that most copies were very simply bound at the time.

Regarding this iconic book, we know very few or no examples of armored bindings from that period (we have not found any copies sold in recent years).

A fine example.

Exceptional copy due to its provenance, of great interest for literary history between France and Poland.