☙ Oeuvres Complètes de Regnard

1860 - Jean-François Regnard

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☙ Oeuvres Complètes de Regnard

✑ Jean-François Regnard

OEUVRES COMPLÈTES DE REGNARD, NOUVELLE ÉDITION AUGMENTÉE DE DEUX PIÈCES INÉDITES PRÉCÉDÉE D'UNE INTRODUCTION D'APRÈS DES DOCUMENTS ENTIÈREMENT NOUVEAUX PAR M. ÉDOUARD FOURNIER ORNÉE DE PORTRAITS EN PIED COLORIÉS DESSINÉS PAR MM. ÉMILE BAYARD ET MAURICE SAND ET D'UN FAC-SIMILE DE L'ÉCRITURE DE L'AUTEUR

Jean-François Regnard (1655-1709) remains one of the wittiest and most inventive playwrights of the late Grand Siècle. Contemporary and rival of Molière, he distinguished himself through brilliant comedies combining psychological subtlety with comic verve. This edition of the Complete Works, published by the Parisian house Laplace, Sanchez et Cie, represents a major milestone in transmitting his literary legacy. This new edition distinguishes itself through several remarkable innovations. Under the erudite direction of Édouard Fournier, eminent critic and historian of 19th-century French literature, it is enriched with two unpublished plays and an introduction based on previously unknown documents. The volume is magnificently illustrated with colored full-length portraits, works by two celebrated artists: Émile Bayard, prolific illustrator of the Second Empire, and Maurice Sand, son of George Sand and accomplished artist. A facsimile of Regnard's handwriting adds an authentic and personal dimension to this sumptuous volume, allowing readers to connect intimately with the author of Le Légataire universel and Le Joueur.

Why add it to your collection?

Enriched edition featuring two unpublished plays discovered by Édouard Fournier, shedding new light on Regnard's complete works

Hand-colored full-length portraits by two renowned artists, Émile Bayard and Maurice Sand, adding exceptional aesthetic dimension

Critical introduction based on entirely new documents, offering unprecedented historical and literary perspective

Inclusion of a facsimile of the author's handwriting, providing authentic testimony and direct connection with Regnard

Complete edition of the master of 17th-century French comedy, Molière's rival, published by the prestigious house Laplace, Sanchez et Cie

Description

The Fournier Edition: A Scholarly Revelation

Édouard Fournier (1819-1880), passionate bibliophile and recognized literary historian, devoted years to gathering unpublished documents about Regnard. His introduction draws upon extensive archival research, revealing little-known aspects of the playwright's adventurous life: his travels to Lapland, his captivity in Algeria, and his years at the Théâtre-Italien. This edition thus fills numerous biographical gaps and provides essential historical context for understanding the works.

The two unpublished plays added to this edition constitute a major discovery. They testify to Regnard's stylistic evolution and considerably enrich our knowledge of his comic repertoire. Fournier accompanies these texts with detailed critical notes, establishing their authenticity and situating them within the author's creative chronology.

Exceptional Iconographic Material

The illustration of this edition represents a genuine artistic treasure. Émile Bayard (1837-1891), famous for his illustrations of novels by Jules Verne and Victor Hugo, brings his talent to depicting Regnard's characters. His meticulously colored full-length portraits capture the theatrical essence and vivacity of the characters created by the playwright.

Maurice Sand (1823-1889), son of George Sand and versatile artist, also contributes to the volume's iconography. Known for his studies of historical costumes and puppet drawings, Sand brings archaeological precision to the representations of 17th-century clothing and gestures. The collaboration of these two major artists confers an aesthetic value that transcends the edition's purely documentary function.

The Complete Regnardian Corpus

This edition assembles the entirety of Regnard's dramatic production: his great comedies like Le Légataire universel (1708), masterpiece of plot and comedy, Le Joueur (1696), merciless portrait of gambling passion, Les Folies amoureuses (1704), and Démocrite (1700). It also includes his lesser-known but no less significant plays, testifying to the diversity of his inspiration.

The edition respects original spelling and punctuation while facilitating reading through judicious explanatory notes. The facsimile of Regnard's handwriting, precious document for researchers and collectors, allows appreciation of the playwright's elegant calligraphy and offers material testimony of his creative hand.

A 19th-Century Editorial Reference

The house of Laplace, Sanchez et Cie specialized in publishing luxury editions and scholarly works. Their editorial work is characterized by attention to detail, superior printing quality, and careful presentation. This edition of Regnard's works inscribes itself in this tradition of excellence, offering bibliophiles and scholars a volume both scientifically rigorous and aesthetically accomplished.

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