161 - [LITERATURE] - LEMERRE COLLECTION

[LITERATURE] - LEMERRE COLLECTION A uniform set of 7 volumes in in-12° format published by Alphonse Lemerre in Paris. The volumes are bound in half or full morocco leather in different colors. This attractive thematic collection from the famous “Lemerre Collection” includes: 1. Alphonse de Lamartine. *Premières Méditations poétiques*. Paris, Alphonse Lemerre, [n.d., c. 1880–1890]. 1 volume. A seminal text of French Romanticism, carefully reprinted by Lemerre, including the author’s commentary. 2. LECONTE DE LISLE, Charles-Marie. *Barbarian Poems* [followed by] *Tragic Poems*. Paris, Alphonse Lemerre, [n.d., c. 1885–1890]. 2 volumes. The two absolute masterpieces by the leader of the Parnassian School, celebrating untamed exoticism, ancient myths, and vivid pessimism. 3. SULLY PRUDHOMME, René-François. Poems 1872–1878 (Les Vaines Tendresses / La Justice). Paris, Alphonse Lemerre, [n.d., c. 1880–1890]. 1 volume. A selection of poems by the first-ever winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, blending formal rigor with profound philosophical reflections. 4. BARBEY D'AUREVILLY, Jules. *Le Chevalier Des Touches* [and] *Poussières* [and] *Une vieille maîtresse* (Volume I only). Paris, Alphonse Lemerre, [n.d., ca. 1885–1890]. 3 volumes. A remarkable collection of Barbey d’Aurevill’s works. It brings together his great historical novel set in Normandy about the Chouannerie, his rare collection of critical and poetic fragments, and the first half (Volume I) of his scandalous novel of aristocratic passion. A beautiful library set with great typographical consistency, perfectly reflecting Lemerre’s literary catalog at the end of the 19th century.