Prophéties sur les animaux raisonnables et irraisonnables jadis composées par...
This illustrated book from 1961 is a playful, philosophical interpretation of Leonardo da Vinci's enigmatic 'Prophecies'. The visionary surrealist Max Ernst transforms these ancient texts into a modern work of art. The publication contains an original, artist-signed etching that serves as a frontispiece. The etching, in a typical surrealist style, creates a fascinating dialogue with Da Vinci's witty, satirical texts. The book was published by Louis Barnier and Imprimerie Union as an exclusive New Year's edition. This special edition is a rare example of a collaboration that transcends the boundaries of time and medium, showing the lasting relevance of Da Vinci's ideas and the unparalleled imagination of Ernst.
Quantity
Da Vinci, Leonardo
Ernst, Max
Prophéties sur les animaux raisonnables et irraisonnables jadis composées par Leonardo da Vinci récemment mises en français dans un ordre conforme au voeu du Maître par A. de Latis et applicables à l'an de grâce 1961
1961 | Parijs | Barnier, Louis
The rare signed etching by Max Ernst, along with the playful typographical elements, makes this illustrated book a unique art object.
This illustrated book from 1961 is a playful, philosophical interpretation of Leonardo da Vinci's enigmatic 'Prophecies'. The visionary surrealist Max Ernst transforms these ancient texts into a modern work of art. The publication contains an original, artist-signed etching that serves as a frontispiece. The etching, in a typical surrealist style, creates a fascinating dialogue with Da Vinci's witty, satirical texts. The book was published by Louis Barnier and Imprimerie Union as an exclusive New Year's edition. This special edition is a rare example of a collaboration that transcends the boundaries of time and medium, showing the lasting relevance of Da Vinci's ideas and the unparalleled imagination of Ernst.
€950
Condition Report:
In-Depth Study
References & Bibliography
Format
In-4 (Quarto) approx. 25 × 32 cm
Edition Particulars
One of 111 numbered copies on d'Arches paper.
Print Run
111
Copy Number
8
Paper
papier d'Arches
Inscription
Signed by the Illustrator
Product DETAIL
It is a playful-philosophical selection from Leonardo da Vinci's "Prophecies" - short, enigmatic predictions about man and animal. The text, arranged here in French by A. de Latis (Collège de 'Pataphysique), is a collection of riddles about everyday actions, formulated as 'prophecies'. The 'Animaux raisonnables' are humans and the 'irraisonnables' are the other animals. The tone is satirical and moralizing, typical of Da Vinci's notebooks: he predicts human behaviour, technology, and natural phenomena, but disguised as riddles.
Derain, André
Amis & Amille. Mystère du XIVe siècle.
This sumptuously bound book brings a medieval mystery to life through a rare collaboration between ancient literature and modern illustration. The geometric box design on garnet morocco provides striking contrast. André Derain’s 22 color lithographs – including one double and three full-page – enhance the narrative with expressive visual force. Printed on Rives vellum in an edition of 180 numbered copies, this copy (No. 72) was made for Baroness Vaxelaire and includes a suite on fine Japanese paper. The binding by Lucie Weill exemplifies artisanal excellence. A harmonious blend of narrative tradition and graphic daring.
Illustrated Book
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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.
Illustrated Book
€920
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