Estampes. Introduction par Robert Rey. Textes par Jean Paulhan, Jacques de Lacretelle, René Huyghe, André Chamson, Jean-Louis Vaudoyer, Louise de Vilmorin, Jean Cocteau, Jean Cassou, Pierre Mac Orlan, André Maurois, Jérome et Jean Tharaud & Daniel-Rops.

PICASSO, Pablo, George Braque, Maurice Brianchon, Marc Chagall, François Desnoyer, Raoul Dufy, Marie Laurencin, Henri Matisse, Maurice Utrillo, Kees van Dongen, Maurice de Vlaminck, H. de Waroquier.

Published by Paris & New York: L'Image Littéraire & R. Finelli-Feugère, [1950]

First edition, number 8 of 150 copies signed by all the artists and authors, with each print numbered and signed by the respective artist and Robert Rey. The first 12 copies were issued with an extra suite showing the progressive colour separations ("décompositions") for one of the prints; this copy has a suite of 46 sheets with colour separations of Picasso's print housed in separate wrappers, lettered in black. Estampes was conceived as a prestige, international "livre-portfolio" project: a collaboration between the art historian and critic Robert Rey (1888-1964), who provided the introduction and editorial direction; a roster of 12 leading contemporary masters, represented by wood engravings by Gérard Angiolini after existing works, printed in colours; each paired with a commissioned literary text by major French men of letters - Paulhan, Lacretelle, Huyghe, Chamson, Vaudoyer, Vilmorin, Cocteau, Cassou, Mac Orlan, Maurois, Tharaud, and Daniel-Rops. The print titles included are Braque, "Nature morte au huitres"; Brianchon, La neige a auteuil; Chagall, La sirène; Desnoyer, Liseuses au bord de mer; Dufy, Le casino de la jetée a Nice; Laurencin, Portrait de femme en rouge; Matisse, Nature morte au magnolia; Picasso, La cassarole Émaillée; Utrillo, Le jardin de Montmagny; Van Dongen, Tête de femme; Vlaminck, Les blés dans la perche; and Waroquier, Dolori sacrum. Folio. 12 colour woodcuts after each of the artists printed on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper with one edge untrimmed. Sheet sizes: 46.5 x 36 cm. Unbound sheets printed on Van Gelder Zonen wove paper in white wrappers, front cover lettered in red. With glassine dust jacket, and the publisher's blue morocco clamshell box. All contained in the original card packing box. Two short closed tears to front wrapper and glassine, light scattered foxing, otherwise a bright, unfaded set. Seller Inventory # 154038

Bibliographic Details

Title: Estampes. Introduction par Robert Rey. ...
Publisher: Paris & New York: L'Image Littéraire & R. Finelli-Feugère, [1950]
Signed: Signed by Author(s)
Edition: 1st Edition