La Maîtresse du prince Jean. Roman

[COLETTE, Sidonie-Gabrielle] WILLY. La Maîtresse du prince Jean. Roman.
Paris: Albin Michel, 1903.

Octavo (193 x 123 mm). XLV-(1) f., 383 pp., (1) f.
Sewn in the publisher's wrappers illustrated by Wely.

First edition, the deluxe issue, of the greatest rarity.
The deluxe issue on Holland paper, initialled by Willy — ours no. 3 — is not otherwise recorded. It may, however, have been a printing of 25 or 30 copies, given that a copy on Holland paper offered for sale in 2018 bore no. 22.

The work is illustrated with numerous compositions in black, two of them in colour on the wrappers.
On 1 April 1903, Willy was prosecuted over this book for licentious publication by the 9th chamber of the Paris Tribunal and fined 1,000 francs. The novel was purged of the pages deemed too licentious. Albin Michel was obliged to issue an expurgated edition, prefaced by the plea of Maître Paul-Boncour, who had defended the author during the trial.

A superb copy.