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Une aventure méthodique

Name: Une aventure méthodique
SKU: UNEA-001
Price: 4850 EUR
Availability: InStock

SKU UNEA-001

*Une aventure méthodique* brings together Pierre Reverdy’s concentrated poetic prose and Georges Braque’s austere visual language. It belongs among the major post-war French livres d’artiste, where text, lithography and typography meet as equal forces. Braque contributed 27 original lithographs, supplemented by colour reproductions after his paintings, giving the volume both intimacy and monumentality. Printed by Mourlot, the celebrated Paris lithographic workshop, the book has exceptional technical refinement. This copy, on vélin d’Arches and signed by both author and artist, preserves a rare encounter between modern poetry and pictorial invention.

Quantity

Reverdy, Pierre

Braque, Georges

Une aventure méthodique

1949 | Parijs | Mourlot Frères

A magnificent in-folio tribute to the Cubist method, authenticated by the signatures of Braque and Reverdy.

€4,850

Condition Report:

In-Depth Study

References & Bibliography

Format

In-folio (Folio) approx. 30 × 40 cm

Edition Particulars

One of 250 numbered copies on vélin d'Arches.

Print Run

265 Copy Number

No. 84

Paper

vélin d'Arches

Inscription

Signed by the Author,Signed by the Illustrator

Product DETAIL

In this work, Pierre Reverdy analytically examines Georges Braque's artistic vision and methodical approach. The text is not a dry biography but a profound exploration of how an artist transmutes reality onto a visual plane. Reverdy describes the intellectual rigor and almost spiritual discipline Braque employs when constructing his compositions. Central to the narrative is the relationship between the object, space, and the creator's perception. The author highlights how Braque creates a new order through color and form, independent of mere representation. The book serves as an intellectual compass for the painter's oeuvre. The atmosphere of the work is serene and meditative, fitting the late style of both masters.

ARTISTIC RELEVANCE

Braque employs lithography here with a masterful command of texture and line. The 26 black-and-white lithographs within the text display a graphic sobriety that aligns perfectly with the rigor of Reverdy's prose. In contrast, the full-page color lithograph and the reproductions of his paintings offer a rich overview of his coloristic ability. Braque does not use lithography as a means of reproduction, but as an autonomous medium of expression where the grain of the stone contributes to the tactile quality of the image. The interplay between the abstract motifs and the typography demonstrates a high level of aesthetic awareness.

AVANT GARDE CONTEXT

Although published in 1949, this work is deeply rooted in the Cubist revolution sparked by Braque and Picasso. It reflects the transition from radical avant-garde to a more consolidated, philosophical approach to art. Reverdy, as the 'poet of Cubism,' articulates the theoretical foundations of a movement that shattered traditional perspectives. The 'methodical' approach referred to in the title is a reaction to the chaos of Surrealism; it seeks a structural truth. The book thus serves as an intellectual conclusion to the heroic period of modern art.

PLACE IN THE OEUVRE

*Une aventure méthodique* is a crowning achievement in the friendship between Reverdy and Braque, dating back to the early days of the Bateau-Lavoir. For Braque, this book marks his position as one of the 'grand seigneurs' of French art, in which he helps shape his own legacy. Reverdy thus consolidates his role as the primary exegete of the Cubist spirit. The work stands alongside Braque's other major book productions, such as *Théogonie*, as a pinnacle of his graphic oeuvre. It is a rare example where text and image do not merely illustrate each other but provide mutual explanation.

PUBLISHING CONTEXT

The edition is the result of the expertise of Fernand Mourlot, the most prominent 20th-century lithographer in Paris. Mourlot worked closely with Braque to translate the specific nuances of his paintings into lithographic reproductions. The technical challenge lay in combining original graphics with high-quality reproductions, resulting in a hybrid yet harmonious whole. Production took place in the aftermath of World War II, a period when the French 'livre d'artiste' experienced a new golden age. The signatures of both masters in the colophon validate the authenticity of this artistic alliance.

ANECDOTE

A notable aspect of this copy is the signature of both Pierre Reverdy and Georges Braque in the colophon, the ultimate guarantee of quality for such prestigious editions. Although the edition consists of 265 copies, the fragility of the large in-folio sheets means that complete and pristine copies in the original slipcase are becoming increasingly rare. The 12 reproductions of paintings were executed with such precision by Mourlot that they are often mistaken for original lithographs, testifying to the technical perfection of the studio. It is a work that brought the physical presence of art into the collector's living room.

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