BALZAC (Honoré de). The Splendors and Miseries of Courtesans - Lot 29

BALZAC (Honoré de). The Splendors and Miseries of Courtesans. Parts One and Two. Etchings by Nick Petrelli. Paris, Éditions Albert Guillot, n.d. [circa 1945–1950]. 2 in-8 volumes, paperback, with the publisher’s illustrated covers. An illustrated edition of the famous novel from *La Comédie humaine*, part of the *Scènes de la vie parisienne* series. The work is adorned with original etchings by Nick Petrelli, an artist whose compositions subtly capture the alternately brilliant and tragic atmosphere of this vast epic devoted to the passions, ambition, and corruption of Paris during the Restoration. Through the intertwined fates of Lucien de Rubempré, the enigmatic Vautrin, and Esther Gobseck, Balzac delivers one of his most penetrating analyses of the social, financial, and judicial mechanisms of his time. Considered one of the pinnacles of *La Comédie humaine*, this novel blends romantic intrigue, social criticism, and psychological insight with remarkable narrative power. The engraved illustration by Nick Petrelli, printed as a separate sheet on fine paper, complements this collector’s edition elegantly. This copy is a non-commercial edition (H.C.), reserved for a limited print run intended for collaborators or select collectors. A fine two-volume set, preserved in its original bindings, enriched with original etchings and bearing the notation “Exemplaire H.C.” A sought-after set among collectors of Balzac and 20th-century illustrated editions.