A presentation bookbinding for king Gustavus III 1784 from his Italian and French trip.
For condition report contact specialist
French full red morocco, richly gilt enclosing the royal arms of King Gustavus III on both covers, all edges gilt, gold-coloured endleaves. The binding encloses Ph. Quinault: Armide, tragédie en cinq actes.
Représentée devant leurs Majestés a Versailles, le 14 juin 1784.
[Paris], de l'imprimerie de P.R.C. Ballard, ”Par exprès commandement de Sa Majesté”, 1784. 8vo. [8] + 60 pages.
Provenance
King Gustavus III. An oustanding association copy and a magnificient binding from the King’s journey. He saw the opera Armide at Versailles on June 14, 1784 together with Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. The present rare edition was occasioned by this very performance, and a copy was presented to the visiting Swedish King.
More information
The event is described in the memoirs of Swedish statesman, courtier, diplomat and director of the Swedish Opera, Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt
(1757-1814):
”On June 14 the King made a few visits, came home and had a quick meal before travelling with me to Versailles. I later met him with the maréchale de Beauveau, from whom I followed him to the King and Queen.
[…] They all went to the Opera together. […] The performance was magnificient, the final decor very impressive as well as the fireworks, and they were all well dressed. […] After the show I followed the King to the Queen, where the King of France joined us as well. I went home to change; the Count [=Gustavus, who travelled as ’The Count of Haga’] dined with the Royal Family, and at 11:30 we went to Paris from Versailles. Both the King and Queen spoke to me, the former with ’embarras’, the latter with all her characteristic grace. The Opera that we saw was Armide.”