[BALLANCHE (Pierre Simon)]. L'Homme sans nom. Paris, P. Didot l'aîné, 1820. In-8, fawn half-calf, smooth spine decorated (period binding). First edition, printed in an edition of 100 copies on wove paper. Under cover of a story in which the narrator meets a former member of the National Convention (the man with no name, also known as the Regicide) who comes to confess to him, the author criticizes the French Revolution and delivers an indictment of the death penalty. Numerous stains, small marginal wetness at the end of the volume. Crack to one spine.

Composed of several subsidiaries, the Drouot Group is a major player in the art market. Hôtel Drouot, located in the heart of Paris, has been the world's largest public auction center since 1852. 15 salerooms are available to more than 70 auction houses. The emulation generated by an annual offer of 230,000 artworks from 21 major specialities - from Antiquity to street art - attracts some 3,000 visitors every day. The Group's digital platform, Drouot.com, offers digital sales - Live auctions (live broadcasting and participation in auctions), Online-only auctions (dematerialised auctions) and Buy Now sales (sales of lots at fixed prices). Nearly 2 million items are offered annually by 600 auction houses. Auction news is reported every week in La Gazette Drouot, the leading weekly magazine for the art market and culture published by Auctionspress.