Paradise Lost - photo 1
Paradise Lost - photo 2

Paradise Lost

Lot 30
06.10.2022 12:00UTC -05:00
Classic
Sold
$ 16 380
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 813806
Lot 30 | Paradise Lost
Estimate value
$ 7 000 – 10 000
Paradise Lost

John Milton, 1668

MILTON, John (1608-1674). Paradise lost. A Poem in Ten Books. London: Printed by Samuel Simmons, and to be sold by S. Thomson…H. Mortlack…M. Walker…and R. Boulter, 1668.



First edition of “one of the greatest works of the human imagination” (ODNB). This is a handsome copy, from the library of a 19th century Shakespeare scholar. Amory's second issue, i.e. the first in which the new preliminary matter appears. Milton is still unsurpassed as the greatest writer of English epic. The poem declares up front its aim to "justify the ways of God to man," but explores themes both universal and personal—with Satan's seductive fascism, the surreal eroticism of the angels and the unknowable world of God, and Milton’s engagement with the science of his time continuing to captivate readers centuries later. Milton, who visited Galileo in Italy in 1638, was the first author to use the word "space" in our modern sense "outer space;" he was a supporter of Cromwell's revolution while also an outspoken critic of his Parliament, expressing values and ideas which still strongly resonate today—and throughout his poem. This is the issue with the 6-line state of “Printer to the Reader” leaf. Hugh Amory, "Things Unattempted Yet: A bibliography of the first edition of Paradise lost," in: The Book Collector, Spring 1983, pp. 41-66 (2); Pforzheimer 718 (as the "fifth title"); Wing M2138 (as "fourth state").



Quarto (175 x 124mm). Printed rule (title laid down and reinserted, with repairs including part of rule in facsimile; smaller edge repairs throughout, mostly unobtrusive but sometimes affecting rule or line numbers, a little foxed at ends). 19th-century navy morocco gilt by Rivière, edges gilt (joints a little tender). Provenance: a few washed manuscript comments – Clement Mansfield Ingleby, 1823-1886 (English Shakespeare scholar; armorial bookplate).

Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
20 Rockefeller Plaza
10020 New York
USA
Preview
06.10.2022 – 06.10.2022
Phone +1 212 636 2000
Fax +1 212 636 4930
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase
Shipping Postal service
Courier service
pickup by yourself
Payment methods Wire Transfer
Business hoursBusiness hours
Mo 09:30 – 17:00   
Tu 09:30 – 17:00   
We 09:30 – 17:00   
Th 09:30 – 17:00   
Fr 09:30 – 17:00   
Sa closed
Su closed

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.
?>