Malvina, or the Heart's Presuppositions, a novel by Maria Württemberg, was written around 1812.
"It has no other advantage," wrote the Duchess of Württemberg about her novel, "than that it is the first romance of its kind in our native language. For the romances of Krasicki, Jezierski, etc. describe the customs of our fathers and grandfathers; but they do not paint a picture of present society. This picture in Malvina is neither perfect nor finished; but being the first, it may arouse curiosity...".
It is no wonder that before its publication, the novel was read in fragments in Warsaw salons, where people guessed who the characters in the book were based on. The characters were based on real-life figures such as Tadeusz Antoni Mostowski or Prince Józef Poniatowski's confidante, Henriette de Vauban. It was first published in 1816. A year later, it was reissued. Another one appeared in 1821 (illustrated with engravings made in Paris by Lecerf). In 1817, a French translation was published in Warsaw, and another one came out in Paris in 1822. In 1834, Malwina was translated into Russian, and finally, in 2001, an English edition was published.
Circulation: 25 copies.
Format: 160x228 mm, two volumes. The book was set in Monotype Walbaum font and printed on Century Laid ribbed cotton paper. The binding is handmade with a gilded upper edge of the block. The whole is provided with a case.
