[Voltaire, F.M.A. de]

Philisophy Voltaire 1759 | Candide, ou L’Optimisme. Traduit de L’Allemand de mr. le docteur Ralph, (s.l.) 1759, 176 pp.

Name: Philisophy Voltaire 1759 | Candide, ou L'Optimisme. Traduit de L'Allemand de mr. le docteur Ralph, (s.l.) 1759, 176 pp.
SKU: 52468
Availability: InStock

Full black moroccan leather binding, 12° duodecimo edition. Spine professionally restored. Some wear and scratches on the binding but still very decorative. One of the earliest edition of this famous work of De Voltaire.

According to G. Barber there are 17 editions of Candide printed in 1759, all with the same title. After his breakup with Frederick II (1754), Voltaire set up house near Geneva where the Cramer brother became his primary printers. Hoping to make a profit on their first edition of each new work, these booksellers sent copies throughout Europe; counterfeiters their began their work. This is most likely a pirate copy dated 1759.

A fascinating item that speaks to the economics and competitiveness of the early modern book trade, especially with respect to counterfeits and forgeries. When Voltaire’s Candide was first published in 1759, the work achieved immense popularity in Europe despite broad condemnation from secular and religious leaders. To profit from the frenzy surrounding the work–and the “anonymity” of its author (who had adopted the pseudonym “Monsieur le docteur Ralph”) many pirate copies have been published. This is one of the same year as the original.

[NL] Een van de vroegste edities, gepubliceerd in 1759. Literair- filosofisch verhaal van Voltaire. Satire op de ideeën van de Duitse filosoof Leibniz wiens optimistische levensvisie door Dr. Pangloss wordt verwoord en door Voltaire genadeloos op de korrel wordt genomen. In de tekst: Candide, Baron Thunder-Ten-Thronckh, Cunégonde, Pangloss, Portugal, Suriname, Eldorado, Frankrijk en Turkije. B2093

SKU: 52468

€ 1.635,00 (€ 1.500,00 ex. btw)

In stock