THE ARISTOPHIL COLLECTIONS DISPERSAL CONCLUDES WITH NEARLY €7 MILLION IN SALES AND 10 PREEMPTIONS
The Final Aristophil Collection Auction Reaches Nearly €7 Million with 10 Preemptions
The last major auction under the Aristophil Collection banner achieved a total of €6,885,574 under the hammer of auctioneers Claude Aguttes and Sophie Perrine on November 16, 2022, in Neuilly-sur-Seine. This grand finale was marked by 10 preemptions, concluding five years after the inaugural sale held in December 2017.
« Was it out of recklessness, passion for rare objects, or the challenge that I embarked on the impossible Aristophil adventure? Someday, I will need to write this epic tale, which has been punctuated by countless events. Nothing was predictable: neither the timeline, the reception from buyers, nor the quality and authenticity of the lots discovered along the way. Thousands of sellers, lots, and buyers. 55 catalogues. No auctioneer has ever had the chance or audacity to take on such a task. The final sale was an emotional moment for me. It seemed impossible to believe the journey was ending. Concluding with a total of nearly €7 million (including fees) in a single afternoon was the grand finale of a magnificent series. »
Claude Aguttes, Auctioneer
« With high-quality lots come high-quality collectors! The illuminated manuscripts, incunabula, and printed works—including some of the most sought-after editions—achieved remarkable bids. »
Sophie Perrine, Auctioneer
Auction No. 55 • ORIGIN(S) • TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF WRITINGS: FROM PAPYRUS TO PRINTED BOOKS
This 55th and final major auction, focused primarily on ancient manuscripts, illuminated books, books of hours, incunabula, and rare books, saw 9 lots exceed €200,000 and 21 lots surpass €100,000. In addition to a strong French presence, bidders from around the globe—Americans, Chinese, British, Germans, and Dutch—actively participated. French bidders were the most frequent winners of the lots.
Top 5
1 – Lot 45 - COPERNICUS - NICOLAS COPERNICUS (1473–1534) - €606,576
2 – Lot 38 - SAINT JEROME EPISTOLAE [LETTERS], EDITION BY ADRIANUS BRIELIS - €429,658
3 – Lot 36 - BIBLIA LATINA [Strasbourg, Heinrich Eggestein, no later than May 24, 1466] - €353,836
4 – Lot 12 - Epistle of Paul to the Romans, Monastery of Saint Catherine, Sinai - €299,000
5 – Lot 34 - NAUTICAL ATLAS, Manuscript, Marseille, Honoré Boyer, 1648 - €266,500 (Preempted by the French National Library – Maps and Plans Department; Classified as a National Treasure)
All prices include fees.
See the full auction results
Lot 45
De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium, Libri VI by Nicolaus Copernicus
Six bidders competed for De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium, Libri VI by Nicolaus Copernicus (Lot 45), which sold for €606,576. This is an original edition of the famous book that revolutionized our understanding of the universe. It is the only work by Copernicus published during his lifetime, released just days before his death. At the time, it sparked only modest debate, and the heliocentric theory it championed was not placed on the Index of Forbidden Books until 1616.
Lot 38
Saint Jerome Epistolae – Edition by Adrianus Brielis (died 1472)
This exceptional illuminated copy, printed on vellum and bound contemporaneously by Johann Vogel's successor, achieved €429,658. It is the first edition of the expanded version (with over 200 letters and treatises) of Saint Jerome's Epistolae, edited by Peter Schoeffer, Gutenberg's principal associate. The luxurious illumination was crafted by two artists: one associated with the Waldburg-Wolfegg Hausbuch and the Pontifical of Adolf of Nassau (Archbishop of Mainz), and another linked to an artist of the Virgil of Heidelberg (Vat. Pal. Lat. 1632), as noted by E. König (1987). The monumental binding is attributed to an anonymous workshop in Erfurt, a successor of Johann Vogel, which served the Carthusians of Erfurt. Known as the "Doheny" copy, this is among the finest works from the early days of Mainz printing:
"We stand at a sort of crossroads, where early Mainz printing, early engraving, and major German book illumination all seem to intersect" (König, 1987, p. 29).
Selling for €353,836 (Lot 36), this incunabulum, Biblia Latina, is the first book printed by Heinrich Eggestein, a student of Gutenberg. It represents one of the most significant milestones in the history of German printing.
Lot 36
Biblia Latina, Incunable – Heinrich Eggestein’s First Printed Book
10 Preemptions on November 16, 2022, Bringing the Total to 335 Since the Aristophil Auctions Began
During the November 16, 2022, sale, 10 preemptions were recorded, bringing the total to 335 across 55 public auctions of the Aristophil Collections. Institutions such as the French National Library (Department of Maps and Plans), the Ministry of Armed Forces, the Library of the Institut de France, and others participated in securing these cultural treasures.
List of Preemptions by Auction Lot
Lot 34 - Nautical Atlas Manuscript, Marseille, Honoré Boyer, 1648 – €266,500 by the French National Library (Department of Maps and Plans). Classified as a National Treasure.
Lot 121 - Alfred de Vigny (1796–1863), autograph manuscript signed "Alfred de Vigny" – €58,500 by the Ministry of Armed Forces.
Lot 74 Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850), Pierrette. Scène de la vie de Province – €42,965 by the Library of the Institut de France.
Lot 28 - Book of Hours for the Use of Évreux – €14,300 by the Municipal Library of Évreux.
Lot 17 - Robert de Bourgogne – €8,060 by the Departmental Archives of Haute-Marne.
Lot 105 - Raymond Queneau (1903–1976), autograph manuscript Morale élémentaire [1973–1975] – €6,500 by the French National Library (Arsenal Library).
Lot 97 - Louis-Jules Mancini-Mazarini, Duke of Nivernais (1716–1798), partially autograph manuscript of his Fables – €7,150 by the Library of the Institut de France.
Lot 84 - Alphonse Daudet (1840–1897), autograph notebook Sapho [1883] – €5,200 by the Municipal Library of Nîmes.
Lot 62 - Missale Romanum, Paris, Le Mercier and Boudet, 1742 – €2,527 by the Ministry of Culture (Treasure of Sens Cathedral).
Lot 152 - Henri Poincaré (1854–1912), 12 signed letters ("Poincaré") to a "dear comrade" – €1,300 by École Polytechnique.
Lot 34
Manuscript Atlas by Honoré Boyer Classified
Preempted for €266,500 by the French National Library – Department of Maps and Plans
Classified as a National Treasure
This manuscript atlas by Honoré Boyer (Marseille, 1648, grand in-folio atlas (57 x 38 cm)) recently classified as a National Treasure, captured the attention of the French National Library’s Department of Maps and Plans, which preempted it for €266,500. Honoré Boyer, a previously unknown cartographer from Marseille, created this atlas in 1648. Absent from all specialized directories, he appears to have been an amateur cartographer, drawing primarily on Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian atlases for his nautical charts of Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Americas, as evidenced by the toponyms used. In the 17th century, Marseille was one of the major centers for the production of marine charts.
"The earliest evidence of Marseille's hydrography coincides with the commercial expansion of its port towards the 'Echelles' in the 16th century" (M. Mollat du Jourdin and M. de La Roncière, Les Portulans, no. 74).
Lot 121
Alfred de Vigny (1796–1863), Autograph Manuscript Signed “Alfred de Vigny”
Preempted by the Ministry of Armed Forces
The Ministry of Armed Forces secured an autograph manuscript signed “Alfred de Vigny” (Lot 121) for €58,500. This valuable working manuscript of the three novellas comprising the masterpiece Servitude et grandeur militaires (1833–1835) is bound in three in-folio volumes. Originally conceived in autumn 1830 as part of a novel project titled La Vie et la Mort d’un soldat, Servitude et grandeur militaires consists of three novellas published in La Revue des deux mondes between 1833 and 1835:
-Laurette ou Le cachet rouge (March 1, 1833)
-La Veillée de Vincennes (April 1, 1834)
-La Vie et la Mort du capitaine Renaud, ou la Canne de jonc (October 1, 1835)
The first edition was published in October 1835 by Félix Bonnaire and Victor Magen, augmented with three preliminary chapters and another chapter, “Sur la responsabilité,” preceding La Veillée de Vincennes. These theoretical chapters are absent from this manuscript, which presents the three stories in their original state, as they were first published in La Revue des deux mondes.
« What a collection, what an accomplishment! Indeed, the sales were ordered by the courts, but we treated them as we would for any private seller. We managed the sales over time, by theme, ensuring quality expertise, photography, and catalogs, with beautiful exhibitions and a strong emphasis on digital efforts. The total sales reached approximately €100 million, but more importantly, the series of catalogs will go down in the history of auctioneering. It was done, and it was a success. Today, while I feel relieved, I also feel proud. »
Claude Aguttes, Auctioneer
Sale No. 55 • ORIGIN(S) • Two Thousand Years of Writings : From Papyrus to Printed Book
Auctioneers: Claude Aguttes and Sophie Perrine
Expert: Thierry Bodin, Ariane Adeline, Jacques Benelli
Specialists: Laura Lebarbey and Stéphanie Guerit
Aristophil Collections – Final Events
54 VARIA, Manuscripts, Autographs
Hosted by Drouot Estimations
Online-only auction on Drouot Online
Until November 24, 2022
56 VARIA, Letters and Manuscripts, Autographs, Philately, Graphic Works
December 1, 2022