"A PIONEER WORK IN THE LITERATURE OF THE PICTURESQUE"

BERNARDIN DE SAINT-PIERRE, Jaques-Henri. Paul and Virginia. London: W.S. Orr, 1839. Large octavo, 20th-century half black morocco gilt, raised bands, top edge gilt. $450.

Later edition, profusely illustrated with 330 engravings, 30 full-page, after the works of famous artists, such as Meissonier, Johannot, and Francais.

Written in Bernardin's "rich, supple, and attractive style," Paul et Virginie first appeared as part of the 1787 edition of his Études de la Nature. The Études depicted ordered and harmonious scenes of nature, and is now considered "a pioneer work in the literature of the picturesque" (Harvey & Heseltine, 64). Some of Bernardin's descriptions of the sea and tropical landscapes were innovative in French literature and his depictions of the hermit, children of nature, the "noble savage," and the final shipwreck scene are clear progenitors of the Romantic movement in France.

Title page paper repair, a few scattered spots of foxing to interior, dampstain to bottom corner of text block and front board, faintest soiling to cloth. A near-fine copy.