Preliminary identification
Photo reference
2 uploaded photos
Overview
A classic of 18th-century polemic literature, these two volumes represent the fierce intellectual counter-attack against the Enlightenment's most famous philosopher. Bound in period mottled calfskin with ornate gilt-tooled spines, they are physical survivors of the 'War of Ideas' that preceded the French Revolution.
Story
In 1762, a Jesuit priest named Claude-Adrien Nonnotte decided to take on the most dangerous mind in Europe: Voltaire. This book became a massive bestseller because it was the 'scandalous' rebuttal to the era's greatest rebel.
Maker / Origin
Claude-Adrien Nonnotte was a French Jesuit writer who dedicated his life to defending the Church against the biting wit of the Philosophes. Though Voltaire mocked him as a 'fool,' Nonnotte's work was so popular it was translated into multiple languages and went through dozens of editions.
Condition & Value
The bindings show significant wear, particularly at the corners and spine ends (headcaps), with some loss to the leather. The gilt remains remarkably bright, though the 'mottling' on the boards has faded unevenly. Condition is fair for 250-year-old working volumes; structural integrity affects value by 20%.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Build on this identification
Layer in sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance.
Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.