Exhibition “Un amour de Candide”
On 20 December 1757, Voltaire took up winter residence in Lausanne. There he wrote part of a “coïonnerie” that would become one of the most widely read, illustrated and transposed texts: Candide ou l’optimisme, the original edition of which went to press in Geneva in 1759.
Jean-Pierre Payot (1914-1984), director of the Payot bookshops in Switzerland, was fascinated by this tale and assembled an exceptional collection of Candide, including 10 of the 17 editions published in 1759, as well as a wide range of illustrated editions. Following a donation by Jean-Marc Payot, the BCUL is delighted to present a selection of this remarkable collection to the public.
The exhibition can be visited at the BCUL’s Riponne site from 9 November 2023 to 19 October 2024.
Curator: Silvio Corsini, former curator at the BCUL
Guided tour on 14 March 2024 at 6.30 p.m, registration required at manifestations@bcu.unil.ch.
Guided tours for classes, write to manifestations@bcu.unil.ch.