On Thursday, March 20th, Artcurial will auction the second part of the Jean Bourdel Library (1890-1971), in collaboration with experts Emmanuel Lhermitte and Philippine de Sailly. Preserved by the Bourdel family for nearly a century, this collection is one of the most remarkable 20th-century assemblages dedicated to Gothic prints in French, as well as to poets and writers of the 16th century.

After the success of the first sale on June 19th, which totaled over €1.8 million with 93% of lots sold and 6 preemptions, this auction will once again be divided into three parts: Gothic prints in French, poetry, and prose. Renowned names in French literature such as Rabelais, Ronsard, Villon, and Du Bellay will be featured alongside lesser-known authors prized by collectors and bibliophiles.

The library of this discerning collector will once again reveal forgotten treasures, such as Le Champion des Dames by Martin Franc, the first and only edition printed in Gothic type of this defense of women (estimated at €25,000 - €30,000). Another major item is Champfleury, a fascinating aesthetic work on French typography created by Geoffroy Tory, the King's printer under François I, which illustrates the richness of this collection (estimated at €15,000 - €20,000).

The sale of the third and final part of this library will take place in early 2026.

The chivalric romances will be paired with marvelous legends, continuing the alphabetical order initiated during the first sale, from the letter F to the letter L.

Alongside an exceptional collection of works by Pierre Gringore, there will be a rare copy of Le Champion des Dames by Martin Franc, a long plea of 34,000 lines in which the author defends the cause of women, estimated at €25,000 - €30,000.

Amateurs and collectors will have the opportunity to discover what seems to be the only known surviving copy of Les Faitz & Gestes des nobles conquestes de Geoffroy à la grant dent seigneur de Lusignen. This romance recounts the exploits of the glorious knightly son of the fairy Mélusine (estimated at €12,000 - €15,000). Finally, among other items, a rare edition of Le Pèlerinage de Guillaume de Guilleville, illustrated with numerous woodcuts, will be offered for sale (est. €15,000 - €20,000). 

The collection of Jean Bourdel, auctioned by Artcurial, will celebrate French poetry, from the beginnings of modern poetry to the end of the 16th century. Among the highlight pieces of this sale is a rare edition of Les Œuvres by Maistre Francoys Villon, printed in 1532. This is the first edition in Roman type (estimated at €25,000 - €28,000).

The poets of the Pléiade will also be honoured, particularly with the second edition of the Œuvres in six volumes by Pierre de Ronsard (estimated at €8,000 - €12,000), and the first edition of Les Regrets by Joachim Du Bellay will complete this tribute to French poetry (estimated at €5,000 - €7,000). Also included are lesser-known poets such as Pierre de Cornu, Étienne Forcadel, Olivier de Magny, Maurice Scève, and the very rare Jean Vauquelin de La Fresnaye.

This second sale will highlight rare editions of prose works, celebrating the great figures of French literature and the humanist movements of the 16th century. An original edition of Champfleury, a fundamental treatise on typography and the importance of the French language, written by Geoffroy Tory, will be presented. This graphic work, a precursor to the modern book, is said to have convinced François I to appoint Geoffroy Tory as the King's printer in 1531. Tory is now renowned for his reforms of French grammar and typography (estimated at €15,000 - €20,000).

Several editions of the Œuvres of François Rabelais will also be featured, including the collective edition from 1553 (estimated at €10,000 – €15,000) and that of 1556 (estimated at €15,000 – €20,000). A largely original edition of Le Quart livre des faicts et dicts héroiques du bon Pantagruel..., the first complete publication of the text of Le Quart livre, will be included in the auction (estimated at €15,000 - €20,000).