French Geneva Bible; S. & H. des Marets

LA SAINTE BIBLE [The Great Elzevier BIble, Imperial Paper Edition]

Louys & Daniel Elzevier, 1669. Leather. 'Without exception the most splendid French Bible ever printed' (Bibliotheca Sussexiana). The Great Elzevier Bible two-volume printing on fine paper: a spectacular printing of the French Geneva Bible in folio with full notes. The greatest achievement of the famed house of Elzevier and a serious contender for one of the finest Bibles in any language. 'Un des plus beaux monuments de la typographie elzevirienne ... Édition exécutée avec un grand luxe typographique, mais que l'on dit peu correcte' (Willems, Les Elzevier; Histoire et Annales Typographiques). Willems references the catalog of 1675 as offering three different paper options for this Bible: 'Imperiael, coté 110 florins; Frans Real, 56 florins; Veluws Real, 50 florins; grand Mediaen, 44 florins.' These latter three range from 430-44mm; our copy is the 'Imperiael' fine-paper edition, without its original decklage now 460mm but came off the press at a full half meter. The Elzevier Bible was a decade-long production for which all stops were pulled out. First conceived by Louis Elzevier; although he retired from the press in 1665, his cousin Daniel's personal respect for him and regard for his contributions to this Bible led him to insist on retaining is former partner's name on the title page. The Elzeviers commissioned the Huegenot Father-Son team Samuel and Henri Marets to produce the ultimate French Geneva Bible. Using the 1552 de Hayes edition of Olivetan's French Bible, (first translated from the Greek and Hebrew originals for the French Protestants in 1535), they included all of the original Geneva notes, along with translations of the Dutch notes printed in Dort 1637, as well as many other notes gleaned from other sources including their own original contributions. This astounding work of scholarship is matched by the frontispiece and greatly detailed maps, four of which were newly commissioned by the Elzeviers from the great Dutch painter, Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem. (The fifrth Jerusalem and the Temple was copied from the London Polyglot Bible of 1655). These were engraved by Amsterdam printmakers Abraham Blooteling and Jan de Vissche. All this alongside the extaordinary typographical work by Daniel Elzevier make this a truly special Bible. DETAILS: Folio, 46 x 30cm. Splendid modern calf binding with ornate gilt borders and gilt spine titles blocked in black with fresh endpapers and originals retained. Double pagination, vol. 1 Three folding maps; [82], 366 (732)pp; Vol. 2 Two folding maps; [4], 162 [432] (Prophets); [4], 202 [403] (NT); [4], 3-70 [134]pp. (Apocrypha). Collation in sixes: Vol. 1: 2 original endpapers, Engraved Frontispiece, [41 unsigned], A1-PPP6; Vol. 2: [Prophets Title], A2-Dd6, [2] (OT); [2], A-Kk6, [4] (NT); [1], A2-M4. CONDITION: Faint tidemark to the upper margin of latter NT from Timothy on and to the Apocrypha (bound after NT as an appendix in smaller type without study notes); 'Les Voyage des Israelites' foldout map fore edge is a bit tattered with a 1x2' chip just barely affecting the print border, untrimmed edges darkened as expected, otherwise remarkably clean and fresh internally with the fine paper remaining very bright. [Darlow & Moule, 3761; Willems, 1402; Chambers, Bibliography of French Bibles, Vol. II, 482ff]. FINE. Item #505324

Price: $3,500.00