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Histoire des Girondins [3 volumes] Édition illustrée

Lamartine, Alphonse de

Paris: Armand Le Chevalier, Libraire-Éditeur, 1866.

Illustrated Edition. Hardcover. Good with no dust jacket. Item #16515

Library rebind, library labels and spine label residue, some page tears, light tone with random foxing, otherwise light wear. Solid oversize hardcovers. ; French language. Three of three volumes, complete set. Lamartine's work was first published during the political turmoil that led to the February Revolution of 1848, the abdication of King Louis Philippe, and the proclamation of the French Second Republic. Lamartine paints a dramatic and romanticized account of the Girondins’ rise and fall, from their intellectual beginnings and idealistic vision of a constitutional republic to their eventual downfall during the Reign of Terror. The narrative blends historical fact with literary flair, emphasizing themes of liberty, virtue, and sacrifice. Lamartine, himself a statesman and poet, portrays the Girondins as noble martyrs who fought against tyranny - both the monarchy and the radical Jacobins led by Robespierre. Key figures such as Brissot, Vergniaud, Roland, and Madame Roland are given heroic stature. The work ends in tragedy, with many Girondins executed, their ideals crushed under revolutionary extremism. The illustrated (“illustrée”) edition features engravings depicting key scenes, portraits of the Girondins, and revolutionary settings, adding emotional and visual depth to Lamartine’s already passionate prose. ; Ex-Library; 516; 511; 508 in 3v pages.

Price: $69.95