A 1949 Edition of Charles Baudeliere's Les Fleurs du Mal. The paperback book features a beautifully illustrated cover. Text is in French.
Les Fleurs du Mal (The Flowers of Evil) is a volume of French poetry by Charles Baudelaire. First published in 1857, it was important in the symbolist and modernist movements. The poems center around themes of decadence and eroticism.
The initial publication of the book was arranged in six thematically segregated sections:
- Spleen et Idéal (Spleen and Ideal)
- Tableaux Parisiens (Parisian Scenes)
- Le Vin (Wine)
- Fleurs du Mal (Flowers of Evil)
- Révolte (Revolt)
- La Mort (Death)
The book measures 19.5 x 14.5 cm (7.7 x 5.7 inches). The cover is slightly worn consistent with age and use.
Les Fleurs du Mal comes from Bouquiniste Gury Handan.
The Bouquinistes (book sellers) have been setting up along the Seine since the 16th century. They sell everything from books to photographs, watercolors, old magazines and advertisements, souvenir trinkets and more. Today, there are 227 book sellers selling from the green boxes. They’re located from the Quai du Louvre to Pont Marie on the Right Bank and from Quai Voltaire to Quai de la Tournelle on the Left Bank.
The lockdowns and lack of tourism in Paris due to the pandemic has been devastating for the Bouqinistes.
In the spirit of the season, the Bouquinistes Auctions are meant to do a little bit extra to give back to the Bouquinistes. We've been able to arrange meetings during the lockdown to bring a selection of products online. Each product is priced at cost. 100% of the additional revenues generated at auction will go directly back to the Bouquiniste.
Each item is one of a kind and was hand-picked in Paris.
If you're interested in shopping products not at auction, Molly from French Face Co. has an additional selection of products that we've curated.
