WILDE, Oscar (1854-1900)

Lot 149
13.02.2025 00:00UTC +00:00
Classic
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Lieu de l'événementRoyaume-Uni, London
Commissionsee on Website%
ID 1362913
Lot 149 | WILDE, Oscar (1854-1900)
Valeur estimée
£ 20 000 – 30 000
WILDE, Oscar (1854-1900)
Salome. Drame en un acte. Paris: Paul Schmidt for Librairie de l'Art Independant and London: Elkin Mathews, 1893.
A finely bound presentation copy of the first edition, inscribed by Wilde to Léon Daudet. Daudet was a French journalist, novelist, active monarchist, and a member of the Académie Goncourt, who clearly disapproved of Wilde’s behaviour in Paris, even before his fall, and pushed rumours of his homosexuality which caused many of Wilde’s friends to desert him (see Robert Sherard: Oscar Wilde, the story of an unhappy friendship. pp.113-4). He was, however, an influential critic and journalist, the son of the celebrated Alphonse Daudet, and despite his extreme right wing views and virulent anti-semitism, capable of great literary discernment. For example, Marcel Proust owed Daudet the Goncourt in 1919 for À l'ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs; Daudet energetically supported Proust’s novel despite Proust being Jewish, a strong supporter of Dreyfus, and homosexual, the very antithesis of Daudet’s moral and political outlook. 'Salomé was being rehearsed in June 1892 for production at the Palace Theatre, London, by Madame Sarah Bernhardt (with M. Albert Darmont as Herod) when the Lord Chamberlain withheld his licence on the ground that the play introduced biblical characters. In an interview published at the time, the author expressed himself as follows : — "Personally to have my première in Paris instead of in London is a great honour, and one that I appreciate sincerely. The pleasure and pride that I have experienced in the whole affair has been that Madame Sarah Bernhardt, who is undoubtedly the greatest artist on any stage, should have been charmed and fascinated by my play and should have wished to act it.”' (Mason 348) Wilde had this first edition published in Paris in 600 copies with 50 copies on on Van Gelder. Mason 348.

Octavo (200 x 149mm). Device by Felicien Rops on title and colophon (light toning on titlepage). Crushed red morocco by Noulhac, dated 1910, upper side inlaid in black, brown and olive morocco with the design of a black iris, edges double gilt ruled, turn-ins gilt, original purple paper wrappers, lettered in silver, bound in, all edges gilt (wrappers slightly faded and silver rubbed, upper joint slightly rubbed); housed in morocco edged marbled paper slipcase. Provenance: Léon Daudet (1867-1942; inscribed by Wilde on verso of first blank 'à Léon Daudet. amicalement. Oscar Wilde') — Barry Humphries (1934-2023; bookplate).
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13.02.2025 – 13.02.2025
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