Early editions of Don Quixote up for auction in Sotheby's Paris 

The volumes, printed in the lifetime of author Miguel de Cervantes, have an estimate of €400,000-€600,000

A detail from the 1605 edition of Don Quixote

Early editions of Don Quixote printed in the lifetime of Miguel de Cervantes are the highest prize in Spanish book collecting. 

Spectacular editions of both volumes of Cervantes's work, the most important set to come to auction in 30 years, will come up at Sotheby's in Paris next Wednesday (December 14) with an estimate of €400,000-€600,000.

A detail from the 1605 edition of Don Quixote

Considered to be the first modern novel written in any language Don Quixote became legendary almost from its release in 1605. Few characters have inspired so many artists, thinkers and writers from Dali and Picasso to Shakespeare (Cervantes and Shakespeare are said to have died on the same day). The book was widely copied and pirated by at least three separate publishers. This set is presented in matching English bindings dating to 1750.

The bound Don Quixote including the first edition of book two.

 

It is from the magnificent collection of Jorge Ortiz Linares (1894-1965), for many years the Bolivian ambassador to Paris and son-in-law of Simon Patino, known as The King of Tin.