COMBE (William)]. GANDAIS. The Romantic Don... - Lot 61 - Giquello

COMBE (William)]. GANDAIS. The Romantic Don Quixote, or Journey of Doctor Syntax, in Search of the Picturesque and the Romantic. Poem in XX songs. Paris, Chez l'Auteur, Pélicier, 1821. In-8, havana half calf, spine decorated with gilt and cold filets, fawn and green title-pieces (period binding). First edition, decorated with 26 lithographs by Malapeau after Rowlandson, including a title-frontispiece. The work, a parody of Don Quixote, is above all a satire of the Romantic movement: Victim, like his illustrious ancestor, of a disordered imagination and of his readings, the Romantic Don Quixote is tossed from one misadventure to another. Through brutal realities, he pursues his chimera, beaten by thieves while dreaming of maidens and knights, soaked to the bone for having wanted to admire the wild beauty of the storm [...]. Imagination is the great culprit, the inspiration of all the follies of the time (Jules Marsan, La Bataille romantique, p. 36). Bookplate with motto Oui chers aïeux, lorsque cherchant afin de vous aider à vivre..., indeterminate. Label of Duquesne, bookbinder in Ghent and manufacturer of portfolios and blotting pads. Light foxing. Modern title pieces.