Thousand and One Nights and Orientalism in the Dutch Republic, 1700-1800: Antoine Galland, Ghisbert Cuper and Gilbert de Flines

Antoine Galland's French translation of the Thousand and One Nights appeared in 1704, followed by a pirate edition in The Hague. Dutch orientalists privately owned editions and collected manuscripts of Arabic fairy tales. In 1719, Gilbert de Flines retranslated the Nights into Dutch, exploring the literary impact on a Protestant nation during French cultural influence.

Format: Hardback
Length: 176 pages
Publication date: 24 April 2019
Publisher: Amsterdam University Press

Antoine Galland's French translation of the Thousand and One Nights, originally titled Les mille et une nuits, made its debut in 1704. A year later, a pirate edition was published in The Hague, marking the beginning of a series of subsequent editions. Galland engaged in a lively correspondence on the subject with the Dutch intellectual and statesman Gisbert Cuper (1644-1716). Interestingly, Dutch orientalists possessed private editions of the Nights and discreetly collected manuscripts of Arabic fairy tales.

In 1719, the Nights were retranslated into Dutch for the first time by the wealthy Amsterdam silk merchant and financier Gilbert de Flines (Amsterdam 1690-London 1739). The Thousand and One Nights and Orientalism in the Dutch Republic, 1700-1800: Antoine Galland, Ghisbert Cuper, and Gilbert de Flines delves into not only the trail of French and Dutch editions from the eighteenth century Dutch Republic and the roles of printers and illustrators, but also the complex mix of embarrassment and appreciation, as well as the overall literary impact of the Nights on a Protestant nation during a century when French cultural influence reigned supreme.

The book explores the various editions of the Nights that emerged in both France and the Dutch Republic during this period. It sheds light on the role of printers and illustrators, who played a crucial role in shaping the visual representation of the tales. It also examines the mixed sentiments of embarrassment and appreciation that the Dutch had towards the Nights, as they were influenced by both French cultural dominance and their own indigenous traditions.

Furthermore, the book delves into the literary impact of the Nights on a Protestant nation. It explores how the tales, with their rich imagery and exotic settings, resonated with Dutch readers and contributed to the development of their own literary and cultural traditions. The book also examines the ways in which the Nights were adapted and reinterpreted by Dutch writers and artists, resulting in new works that reflected both the original Arabic source material and the Dutch cultural context.

Overall, The Thousand and One Nights and Orientalism in the Dutch Republic, 1700-1800: Antoine Galland, Ghisbert Cuper, and Gilbert de Flines provides a comprehensive and insightful exploration of the French and Dutch editions of the Thousand and One Nights, as well as the broader cultural and literary context in which they were produced. It offers valuable insights into the complex relationship between different cultures and the ways in which literature can transcend boundaries and shape the course of history.

Weight: 576g
Dimension: 177 x 247 x 11 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789462988798
Edition number: 0