1257/1841-2
Quran
Qur’an
Exhibition Search
Qur’an
Naskh script. Illuminated double-frontispiece with polychrome floral decoration and gilded borders. Sūrah headings in white tawqi set in gilded cartouche. Copied by Al-Seyyid Ali al-Nahif. Original gilt and painted binding. An exceptionally large example.
Un Canto para Bolivar (A Chant to Bolivar)
Neruda was a Chilean poet, diplomat and winner of the Nobel Prize for literature in 1971. He wrote a variety of work from historical epics to political manifestos. This poem is an ode to Simon Bolivar, a Venezuelan military leader that helped many South American territories gain independence from the Spanish empire.
Le Curé de village (The Village Rector)
Balzac was a playwright and novelist who wrote in an unfiltered and realist manner about French society. The first edition of The Village Priest builds upon themes from his previous works - redemption and striving for a better life. His other works, such as The Human Comedy, inspired many authors from Dostoevsky to Marcel Proust.
Les Miserables
Hugo crafted one of the greatest novels of his time. The story focuses on social injustice in the French society through the lives of multiple characters over several years and ends during the June Rebellion in Paris 1832. Although this first edition was published in 1862, it remains popular to this day through many adaptations for musicals and films.
Le Rouge et le Noir (The Black and the Red)
This work is the first psychological novel of its kind. It chronicles the story of a young man from a modest background climbing the social ladder. Despite the talent and skills he possessed, his passions betrayed him in the end.
Madame Bovary
Flaubert’s debut novel centers on a character that lives beyond her means to escape the boredom of provincial life. The novel explores the human condition with unprecedented realism on themes such as love. Many literary critics consider Flaubert’s work as the greatest novel ever written - equal to the art of poetry.
Eugene Onegin
Onegin is a novel of narrative poetry by Pushkin, the founder of modern Russian literature. It is a story of a cynical nobleman from Saint Petersburg whose life is filled with parties and gatherings. Although his social circle finds him charming, he grows bored and longs for something different.
Phèdre
Racine found inspiration from the stories of Greek mythology and history. There are five acts in the tragedy, filled with melodrama and romance. This first edition of Phédre, like Racine's other literary works, was a popular play from the height of the French Neoclassical era.
L'Ecole des Femmes (The School for Wives)
Moliére’s “The School for Wives” achieves theatrical comedy while attracting controversy from the public. This novel revolves around a man intimidated by femininity and marriage. It is a comedic yet chaotic tale filled with paranoia, romance and sarcasm.
Hedda Gabler
Ibsen was a Norwegian playwright credited with the founding of modern realist drama. The story of Hedda Gabler centers on a troubled heroine. Critics refer to her tale as the “Female Hamlet” due to its dark psychological nature.