STERNE, Laurence (1713-1768) - photo 1
STERNE, Laurence (1713-1768) - photo 2
STERNE, Laurence (1713-1768) - photo 3

STERNE, Laurence (1713-1768)

Lot 106
13.12.2023 11:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 3 528
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1105571
Lot 106 | STERNE, Laurence (1713-1768)
Estimate value
£ 3 000 – 5 000
STERNE, Laurence (1713-1768)

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman. [York] and London: [volumes 1-2 without imprint], R. and J. Dodsley [volumes 3-4], T. Becket and P.A. Dehondt [volumes 5-9], 1760-1767.

First edition of the greatest comic novel of the 18th century, in the first state with Sterne's signature in ink, as usual, at the head of the opening chapters of vols. 5, 7, and 9. Publication on 1 January 1760 brought Sterne instant recognition. Although Johnson, Goldsmith, Richardson, and Horace Walpole were among those who disliked the book, Sterne went to London to be feted by society, invited to court and have his portrait painted by Reynolds. His genius was sharply felt by Thomas Jefferson, who called Sterne’s writings ‘the best course of morality that was ever written,’ while his works also influenced figures as diverse as Goethe, Karl Marx and Virginia Woolf. Rothschild 1970.



9 volumes, octavo (150 x 94mm). Half-titles in vols. 4, 5, 6 and 9 as issued, vol. 1 with the black leaf E5 and extra-illustrated with frontispiece engraving from the second edition, vol. 3 with the engraved plate after Hogarth and the marbled leaf between L4 and L5, vol. 7 in the first state with errata on title verso, vol. 9 dedication leaf in state Nowell-Smith’s setting (a) (occasional faint spotting). 20th-century panelled calf by Zaehnsdorf, all edges gilt. Provenance: Charles Plumptre Johnson (London lawyer and bibliophile, 1853-1938; bookplate).

Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
09.12.2023 12:00 – 17:00
10.12.2023 12:00 – 17:00
11.12.2023 09:00 – 18:00
12.12.2023 09:00 – 17:00
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

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.