Lot 675
[Declaration of Independence]. French imprint of the Declaration of Independence. Printed by the House of Kaeppelin and Son, Paris, after a facsimile by F. Lapelle. Print size: 23-1/2 x 29-3/8", sheet size: 27 x 34-1/2". Two vertical and two horizontal creases show minor separation and toning with an area of tape repair on the verso, left edge obviously trimmed, incidental edge toning, and a small area of foxing at lower center. Overall, fine condition.
A fabulous opportunity to own a beautiful early 19th century version of one of America's most important documents. Available copies of the most famous printed issues of the Declaration from engraver Stone and printer Force, have well-documented histories traced almost from date of printing to the present. However, we are unable to find a thread of provenance for the piece offered here. Our only clues as to its origins are the printer name at bottom left, the artist's name at bottom right and "22." printed in the top right corner. While a good search has found no information about this particular version of the Declaration of Independence, it exhibits many of the Stone Plate's idiosyncrasies and the high-quality heavy rag paper (assuredly of 1820-1840 manufacture) on which it is printed emulates the weight of Stone's vellum more than Force's less substantial rice paper -- suggesting, of course, that it is closely contemporary with Stone's printing.
Although there is debate whether the initial French excitement over the American Revolution was a result of admiration for Americans or hatred for the British, the French love affair with the Declaration of Independence began soon after news of the document reached Paris in January 1777. The fervor with which the ideals embodied in the Declaration were embraced was notable for its spread through the various classes, as the theories of French intellectuals like Rousseau, Montesqieu and Voltaire were synthesized into a single work proclaiming man's inalienable Rights. French involvement in the Revolutionary War was, in the eyes of the Crown and military, a way to break the British hold on trade and weaken British influence in Europe and the New World. To French soldiers fighting in America, who began to adopt their Colonial collegues' convictions, it became clear that they were fighting and dying for a concrete notion of liberty and republic -- liberal ideas that began filtering into the general populace on the soldiers' return to France. The successful development of the American Republic offered proof that the Declaration could serve as a catalyst for social change and kept the document in the forefront of discussions about French liberty, as unrest in that country built to a crescendo. The pivotal document of the French Revolution, The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen, adopted by the Constituent Assembly in 1789, unabashedly echoes the Declaration in many ways and thus, the legacy of the Declaration of Independence in France was firmly established.
Estimated Value $7,000 - 8,000.
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