Leviathan - photo 1
Leviathan - photo 2

Leviathan

Lot 78
16.10.2025 10:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
$ 22 860
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
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Archive
ID 1472001
Lot 78 | Leviathan
Estimate value
$ 10 000 – 15 000
HOBBES, Thomas (1588-1679). Leviathan; or The Matter, Forme, and Power of a Commonwealth Ecclesiasticall and Civill. London: Andrew Crooke, 1651.

The first edition, first issue, with head ornament on title-page. Hobbes's landmark work "produced a fermentation in English thought not surpassed until the advent of Darwinism" (Pforzheimer). It unleashed a storm of controversy and was in such demand that when Pepys wished to buy a copy, he had to buy it second-hand and pay almost four times the original published price. MacDonald and Hargreaves 42, Pforzheimer 491, PMM 138.

Folio (278 x 180mm). Engraved frontispiece, folding plate (light intermittent dampstain/soiling at margins; a few gatherings with minor worming at lower margin; two leaves with repaired tears, one marginal and one 70mm grazing about eight words). Contemporary blind-ruled calf (some scuffing, old spine label, without pastedowns, front endpaper torn with 50mm loss at top). Provenance: Duff (early ownership inscription to title) – John McDonald (early ownership inscriptions and pen trials/notations on endpapers) – Hugh Percy (bookplate).
Place of origin:England
Auction house category:Printed books
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
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02.10.2025 – 16.10.2025
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
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