Paris, Ambroise Vollard, 1931.
Large 4to (32 x 24,5 cm). Bound with the original printed wrappers in a splendid, expressive full black morocco-binding with magnificently patterned boards alluding to the reflection on art. Off-centre on both boards is an oval egg-shaped piece made up of small red, green, yellow, and purple calf on-lays in different shapes. The "egg" (which is vertical on the front board and horizontal on the back board) is placed inside a larger egg-shape of black calf with white calf onlays in shapes that make up parts of the missing pieces of the larger white morocco on-lays that surround the "egg". Yellow suede end-papers with borders in black and white calf respectively. All edges gilt, with single-leaf gilding. Gilt lettering to spine. Binding signed "Paul Bonet" to inside of front board and dated "1955" to inside of back board. Housed in a chemise with black morocco spine with gilt lettering and a black slip-case with black morocco-edges.
With just a touch of minimal edgewear, and the white morocco-onlays a little darkened/soiled from touching. Internally completely fresh.
(4 - blank), XIV, (2) pp., (10) ff., 92, (12, including blanks) pp. + 13 engraved plates (including the frontispiece) + the extra suite of 12 etched plates.
Fully complete with all the 25 original engraved plates by Picasso, including the 12 of the extra suite, and also richly illustrated in the text, with 67 woodcut illustrations, of which four are full-page, as well as the 16 pages full of woodcut illustrations in lines and dots in the beginning numbered A-P.
Truly magnificent copy, splendidly bound by Bonet, of this magnum opus of modern art, this copy being nr. 9 of 65 copies on Japon impérial (premier papier), signed by Picasso and Vollard and with an extra suite of eaux-fortes on Rives, (out of a total of 340 copies - the 65 first followed by 240 numbered copies on vélin and 35 H.C. Only the 65 first numbered copies are signed by Picasso and the editor and have the extra suite of plates). The great art dealer and famous art publisher Ambroise Vollard (1866–1939) was one of Picasso’s earliest champions. The first dealer to exhibit the artist’s work, Vollard bought his first Picasso painting in 1906 and eventually assembled a renowned collection of the artist’s works. During the 1920'ies, he began publishing Picasso’s prints. 1927 represents a pivotal year in the collabration between Picasso and Vollard. It is then that Vollard asks Picasso to illustrate Balzac's artistically seminal "Le Chef-d'œuvre inconnu". Balzac's hugely important "The Unknown Masterpiece" constitutes one of the most important literary reflections on art, and it came to have an massive influence on modern artists, including Picasso. The work was a part of Balzac'z vast "La Comedie Humaine", but unlike most of the other stories here, "Le Chef d'Oeuvre Inconnu" was set in the 17th century, in 1612. Three artists are potrayed in this oddly fascinating story, and of these, Poussin and Porbus were real artists of the 17th century, whereas Frenhofer is a purely fictional character. Several of our greatest modern artists came to identify themselves with Frenhofer, eg. Cezanne, who famously said "Frenhofer, c'est moi" (I am Frenhofer). Critic Jon Kear argues that Cézanne's own attempts to paint the nude were heavily influenced by Balzac's portrayal of Frenhofer's work. As Cezanne, Picasso also became extremely fascinated by the text while working on the project and also identified with Frenhofer - so much so that he moved to the rue des Grands-Augustins in Paris, where Balzac located Porbus' studio. Picasso lived here during WWII, and it was there that he painted his own masterpiece, Guernica. "Vollard made a sterling, almost inspired choice in commissioning Picasso... Presenting the genius of Picasso in all its remarkable diversity, Vollard realized the importance of meticulous planning as to the type, paper and general format which would best complement the text and illustrations. How well he succeeded is demonstrated by the volume itself. Not only does it rank as one of the world's most beautiful books, but it establishes Vollard's distinction as a publisher" (Johnson). "The diversity, yet harmony of Picasso's genius is represented here by the inclusion of both abstract and classical styles in a single volume. The wood-engravings reproduce Cubist figures, still-lifes, and the sparkling 'constellation drawings' of 1926, while the etchings are classical in character, combining pure line with cross-hatching" (The Artist and the Book). This magnificent Bonet-binding is described in the "Carnets" of Paul Bonet, nr. 1.104. This "canvas" of a binding with its focus on the heart of art within the art magnificently alludes to the central theme of Balzac's great novel, which essentially is a grand reflection on art.
Order-nr.: 61363