REBELL (Hugues). La Nichina. - Lot 265

REBELL (Hugues). La Nichina. Unpublished Memoirs of Lorenzo Vendramin. Illustrations by Auguste Lay. Paris, Librairie Borel, 1899. In-8, paperback, illustrated cover. First edition of one of the most representative novels by Hugues Rebell (1867–1905), a Decadent writer and aesthete of the late 19th century, closely associated with Symbolist circles. In the form of fictional memoirs attributed to Lorenzo Vendramin, the author transports the reader to Renaissance Venice, a city rife with political intrigues, romantic passions, and religious conflicts. Published in the “Nymphe” collection, the book blends historical erudition, sensuality, and a taste for Italian picturesque charm. In it, Rebell develops a world characteristic of his work, where the celebration of beauty, individual freedom, and the refinements of Venetian civilization stands in contrast to moral and religious constraints. The delicate illustrations by Auguste Lay, featured within the text and on the frontispiece, elegantly accompany this historically inspired narrative. Now a sought-after author among lovers of fin-de-siècle literature, Hugues Rebell remains a singular figure of the French Decadent movement alongside Jean Lorrain, Pierre Louÿs, and Rachilde. Condition Original paperback binding preserved. Slightly soiled illustrated cover with minor marginal wear and a tear of approximately 1 cm on the front cover. Interior fresh, paper well-preserved. Illustrations clearly visible. Copy uncut in places.