[Gérard de NERVAL].

The Illuminated. Récits et portraits. Paris, Victor Lecou, 1852. In-12 of VII, 354 pp. and (1) f. of table : half calf, green morocco title page, marbled edges (period binding). First edition. The volume gathers essays and short stories published in magazines between 1839 and 1850 dedicated to so-called "madmen". Among these singular characters are Restif de la Bretonne, Spifame, Cazotte, the abbot of Bucquoy, or Cagliostro, all victims of a "chimera". Beautiful copy bound at the time. From the library of Paul Eluard, with bookplate, - a most remarkable provenance for this precursor of surrealism. Some foxing in places. Small rubs on the spine. Attached, by the same author: Poetry. Odelettes, Chimeras, songs and old ballads. Expanded edition of four unpublished sonnets [...]. Paris, Édouard Pelletan, 1924. In-16, dark blue half-maroquin à la Bradel with corners, untrimmed, gilt head, covers and spine kept. One of 350 copies on Rives laid paper (n° 315). A very nice copy from the library of Paul Eluard, with bookplate "Après-moi le sommeil".