Breton (André), Éluard (Paul) - Lot 100

Lot 100
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Breton (André), Éluard (Paul) - Lot 100
Breton (André), Éluard (Paul) L'Immaculée Conception. Éditions Surréalistes, Librairie José Corti, Paris, 1930. Frontispiece (heliogravure reproduced in point) by Salvador Dali (Mischler-Löpsinger 2) in the one hundred and sixteen first copies (3 on chine, 13 on japon and 100 on hollande), which also feature the ink signature of the authors on the label. First edition (24 x 19 cm). Binding: Famous 1955 binding by Paul Bonet, chosen for the cover of the Librairie Blaizot edition (1981) of his Carnets listing his entire production (#1117, Desmules relieur, Jeanne doreur, 1955, described by Bonet as follows: "Black box : mosaic pieces of abstract shapes, interlocking with each other - two in the central part are in white box and partially covered with black and white fillets - the others are brightly colored, yellow, orange and red - orange calf lining - yellow calf endpapers"). Bonet considered this sixth and last binding he produced for the book to be "one of the simplest and most successful of my abstract compositions". One of the first three copies on chine, Valentine Hugo's, one of the most precious of all Surrealism, the only one dedicated by Breton, Éluard and Dali, in a famous binding by Paul Bonet chosen for the cover of his Carnets. The copy marked "00" was intended for Valentine Hugo, the "0" being that of the Noailles, who like Valentine Hugo helped support the present edition. Both copies were out of commerce, the only copy on chine in commerce being that of René Gaffé (no. 1), the only one ever to be auctioned when the Gaffé library was dispersed in 1956. The Viscount de Noailles copy remains in the family, along with the part of the manuscript on L'Homme. The working manuscripts acquired by Valentine Hugo are now in the Musée Picasso. In the context of a conflictual edition between the authors and José Corti, the latter printed a fourth copy on chine for himself, without the agreement of the authors, who did not sign the receipt, unlike the other first copies. This copy, not mentioned in the receipt, is signed by Corti, who marked it "01". The present copy includes a double mailing signed by the authors to Valentine Hugo (the mailing is in Breton's hand), contemporary with the publication: "A Madame Valentine Hugo Pour marquer devant sa porte la nuit d'une pierre blanche André Breton Paul Éluard The copy is signed by the authors in black ink on the receipt (where Valentine Hugo has also noted in blue ink: "Cet exemplaire a été tiré spécialement pour moi"). The Dali engraving is exceptionally dedicated in black ink: "A madame Valentine Hugo / amicalement / Salvador Dali". This copy is the only one of the three on chine (four if we count the Corti clandestine copy) to have been dedicated by Breton, Éluard and Dali, and we know of no other copy of the edition whose engraving by Dali bears a dispatch. A copy of L'Immaculée Conception on chine has never appeared in any major Surrealist collection, from Jacques Matarasso to Jean-Paul Kahn, Bernard Loliée, Paul Destribats or Daniel Filipacchi. In 1930, L'Immaculée Conception marked the collaboration of three great Surrealists: André Breton, Paul Éluard and Salvador Dali. The latter had joined the group in 1929. Written by two hands, the text is one of Surrealism's most important. It is divided into four parts: L'Homme, Les Possessions (Essai de simulation des maladies mentales), Les Médiations (a famous set of 32 sexual positions), and Le Jugement originel. Like the book's title, this last part evokes an anticlerical spirit, but also an attempt to escape the "original sin of literature", as Breton himself later reported. Valentine Hugo (1887-1968), wife of Victor Hugo's great-grandson Jean, was Breton's companion after his divorce from Denise Lévy and the Nadja and Suzanne Muzard episodes. In a relationship that remained rather inharmonious, Valentine supported the Surrealists financially, notably for the publication of the present book. As a result, she received one of three extremely rare head copies on chine. Provenance: Valentine Hugo; Jean Jacobi (bookplate); Daniel Filipacchi (not included in Christie's 2004-2005 sales). Exhibition: Exposition de la Société de la Reliure Originale, 1955 (catalog no. 254).
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