Les Dieux s’en vont, d’Annunzio reste
A scarce early work by Marinetti, published in Paris in 1908, in which he attacks the cult surrounding d’Annunzio and prepares the modernist break. This copy is notable for a long ink presentation on the half-title—“à mon cher maître et ami / hommage admiratif et dévoué / F.T. Marinetti”—and for an address note on the pastedown: “Poesia / 2 Via Senato / Milan”, a direct link to his journal. The volume is also illustrated with pen drawings by Ugo Valeri, whose sleek Liberty line supplies a visual counter-chant to the polemical energy. Inserted between the lines in graphite, by another hand, appears the name of Laurent Tailhade, likely the addressee. Original wrappers are preserved with protective glassine. As a document of networks and polemical energy, the book shows Marinetti’s French platform on the eve of the *Futurist Manifesto*. A compelling copy for collectors of the historical avant-garde.
Quantity
Marinetti, Filippo Tommaso
Valeri, Ugo
Les Dieux s’en vont, d’Annunzio reste
1908 | Paris | E. Sansot & Cie
An early Marinetti with autograph in original wrappers—a threshold piece toward Futurism. Maximum historical yield from a modest form. Copy with telling provenance cues.
A scarce early work by Marinetti, published in Paris in 1908, in which he attacks the cult surrounding d’Annunzio and prepares the modernist break. This copy is notable for a long ink presentation on the half-title—“à mon cher maître et ami / hommage admiratif et dévoué / F.T. Marinetti”—and for an address note on the pastedown: “Poesia / 2 Via Senato / Milan”, a direct link to his journal. The volume is also illustrated with pen drawings by Ugo Valeri, whose sleek Liberty line supplies a visual counter-chant to the polemical energy. Inserted between the lines in graphite, by another hand, appears the name of Laurent Tailhade, likely the addressee. Original wrappers are preserved with protective glassine. As a document of networks and polemical energy, the book shows Marinetti’s French platform on the eve of the *Futurist Manifesto*. A compelling copy for collectors of the historical avant-garde.
€980
Condition Report:
In-Depth Study
References & Bibliography
Format
In-12 (Duodecimo) approx. 17 × 22 cm
Edition Particulars
With long ink presentation on half-title; address note “Poesia / 2 Via Senato / Milan” on pastedown; name “Laurent Tailhade” later added in pencil by another hand.
Product DETAIL
Marinetti’s text is a compact, fiery pamphlet that turns against aestheticism and the politics of literary fame. In taut, rhythmic French prose he relativizes d’Annunzio’s legacy and posits a new, aggressive modernity. The stakes are moral as much as artistic: away from decorum toward speed and energy. The book documents how, before 1909, Marinetti had already found the tone and combat register of Futurism. The paratext—inscription and address—links the Parisian scene to the Milan editorial office of *Poesia*. Valeri’s drawings act as vignettes and accents pacing the oratorical surge.
Soupault, Philippe
Aquarium
Aquarium by Philippe Soupault, published in 1917, is the literary debut of one of the most influential figures of the twentieth-century French avant-garde. The work was published by the young publishing house Au Sans Pareil, which would play a key role in the publication of the Dadaist and Surrealist movements in the years to come. The book is a collection of short poetic prose texts that explore an urban landscape and the interiority of modern man. This is a rare, early edition that not only marks Soupault's literary start but also the birth of an important publishing platform for the avant-garde. It is a tangible document of the period of artistic renewal that led to Surrealism. The form and concept of the publication reflect an experimental approach, typical of the radical artistic movements of the time.
Illustrated Book
€950
Michaux, Henri · Bettencourt, Pierre
Arriver à se réveiller
A rare first edition of Arriver à se réveiller, written by Henri Michaux in the tremulous post-war years. The text unfolds as an inward journey toward lucidity, where sleep and waking mirror each other. Printed and published by Pierre Bettencourt in his own workshop, the edition’s small run preserves the work’s intimacy. The title-page vignette, a linocut by Bettencourt, sets a spare, rhythmic visual key that amplifies Michaux’s vigilant, vulnerable tone. This copy is handsomely bound in brown morocco with balsa boards by Miguet, a tactile nod to lightness under tension. For bibliophiles, it is an exemplary union of poetry, craft, and experiment. The volume embodies the independence of the post-war small press and Michaux’s radical sensitivity.
Illustrated Book
€680
Char, Rene · Stael, Nicolas de
Arrière-histoire du poème pulvérisé
*Arrière-histoire du poème pulvérisé* is a later illustrated edition of a key text in which René Char looks back on the genesis and inner background of *Le Poème pulvérisé*. Published in 1972 by Imprimerie Union, it opens with a colour frontispiece by Nicolas de Staël. The pairing of Char and de Staël is especially charged: two post-war voices, each seeking concentration, clarity, and rupture in his own medium. This copy is one of only six hors commerce copies on Arches and is signed. The autograph presentation inscription to Doctor Marcel Zara, with poetic quotation and October 1972 dating, makes it a deeply personal copy.
