top of page

Poèmes de jeunesse

SKU POEM-003

An early collection in which Paul Éluard’s developing poetics already come to the fore, here accompanied by lithographs by Jean Bazaine. Bazaine’s gentle color fields and lyrical lines mirror the restrained intensity of the youthful poems. Rather than illustrate, the prints extend the poems’ inner movement, creating a poised dialogue of word and image. Issued in a small limitation that included a distinct run of companion copies. The present copy belongs to that suite and is signed by the artist and the publisher.

Quantity

Poèmes de jeunesse
1978 | Paris | Scheler & Clavreuil
A focused encounter between Éluard and Bazaine, rare in this state and limitation. A small but pivotal marker of the dialogue between French poetry and lyrical abstraction.

An early collection in which Paul Éluard’s developing poetics already come to the fore, here accompanied by lithographs by Jean Bazaine. Bazaine’s gentle color fields and lyrical lines mirror the restrained intensity of the youthful poems. Rather than illustrate, the prints extend the poems’ inner movement, creating a poised dialogue of word and image. Issued in a small limitation that included a distinct run of companion copies. The present copy belongs to that suite and is signed by the artist and the publisher.

€820
Condition Report:
In-Depth Study
References & Bibliography
Format
In-4 (Quarto) approx. 25 × 32 cm
Edition Particulars
One of 25 companion copies (I–XXV), signed by the artist and the publisher; with 5 lithographs by Bazaine, each monogrammed in pencil.
Print Run
125
Paper
Vélin d’Arches
Inscription
Signed by the Illustrator

Product DETAIL

Éluard’s youthful poems orbit desire, memory, and the fragile light of first perceptions. The voice is concise, suggestive, and musical, with refrains that breathe through the lines. Bazaine contributes a lyrical chromatic space in which metaphors gently resonate. The result is a bibliophile ensemble where literary focus meets visual poise.

Arrière-histoire du poème pulvérisé
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.

Illustrated Book
€920
Aux Petits Agneaux
Waldberg, Patrick · Ernst, Max
Aux Petits Agneaux

A artist’s book resulting from the collaboration between writer Patrick Waldberg and surrealist master Max Ernst. This first edition includes 19 original lithographs printed on luxurious vélin d'Arches. Published in Paris in 1971 in a limited edition of 174 copies signed by both author and artist, and presented in a custom publisher’s box.

Illustrated Book
€2,200
L'arbre descend du singe
Bédouin, Jean-Louis · Hallart, Guy
L'arbre descend du singe

L'Arbre descend du singe is a beautifully illustrated edition that highlights the collaboration between the poet Jean-Louis Bedouin and the artist Guy Hallart. The work, published in a limited edition, is characterized by a rich dialogue between poetry and image, where the visual compositions reflect the dreamy and often cryptic nature of Bedouin's texts. The book is a tangible testament to the artistic symbiosis between the two creators and offers a unique insight into a creative dialogue from the mid-1970s.

Illustrated Book
€700
Arriver à se réveiller
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
Studies & Dossiers
a2528886ab741f214e81c180bed24f0dd3fc06e8.png
When a Signature Becomes Provenance

A signature confirms; a dedication connects; an association copy tells a story.

a2528886ab741f214e81c180bed24f0dd3fc06e8.png
The Fragile Meaning of ‘Complet’

In auction descriptions, “complete” often sounds reassuring — but it is only meaningful when verified against the colophon, the justification, and the bibliography. For The Hidden Page, clarity begins where vague market language ends.

a2528886ab741f214e81c180bed24f0dd3fc06e8.png
The Avant-Garde and the Illustrated Word

How the Twentieth Century Recast the Book as an Artistic and Ideological Medium

bottom of page