Le Siège de Jérusalem, Grande Tentation Céleste de Saint Matorel
Picasso. Jacob, Max
Paris. Henry Kahnweiler. 1914, 21 janvier
Sold
A beautiful copy of the first edition of the final part of Jacob's Saint Matorel trilogy illustrated by Picasso and in a stunning binding by Paul Bonet.
From the edition limited to 106 copies signed by Jacob and Picasso in magenta crayon, with this one of 85 on papier de Hollande de van Gelder.
'After Saint Matorel and Les oeuvres burlesques et mystiques de Frère Matorel, which was published in 1912 and was illustrated with 66 woodcuts by André Derain, Le Siège de Jérusalem completed the Matorel-Jacob trilogy. Derain was asked to illustrate the book, as he had been for Saint Matorel, and, once again, he refused. Picasso, however, accepted and completed the project for his friend, Jacob, during the winter of 1913/14 by making three etchings and drypoints, to which he gave the titles Femme nue, Nature morte au crâne, and Femme.
Le Siège de Jérusalem, grande tentation céleste de Saint Matorel was written at Quimper and completed on November 8, 1911. This three act play reflects Jacob's mystic quest, as well as his research into the cabala and astrology.' (Patrick Cramer).
Paul Bonet owned a copy of 'Le Siège de Jérusalem', presented to him by Max Jacob himself. Bonet's copy featured additional drawings by Jacob, an analysis of the work, a manuscript poem ('Mystique') and numerous annotations and was bound by Bonet in 1953. The book is now in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. This copy, bound in the following decade, was executed - as noted by Bonet in his Carnets - for the Bibliothèque Maus, Geneva by Desmules (for the binding) and Raphael (for the gilding) between May 1963 and May 1964. Edmée Maus (1905 - 1971)owned a prestigious collection of books, including many very fine livres d'artistes (among them a presentation copy of the édition de tête of Chagall's 'Fables' with an original drawing by Chagall); the Maus collection of livres d'artistes was sold by Kornfeld and Klipstein in 1974.
[Cramer 3; Bloch 25 - 27; Geiser 35 - 37; Bonet Carnets 1455].
From the edition limited to 106 copies signed by Jacob and Picasso in magenta crayon, with this one of 85 on papier de Hollande de van Gelder.
'After Saint Matorel and Les oeuvres burlesques et mystiques de Frère Matorel, which was published in 1912 and was illustrated with 66 woodcuts by André Derain, Le Siège de Jérusalem completed the Matorel-Jacob trilogy. Derain was asked to illustrate the book, as he had been for Saint Matorel, and, once again, he refused. Picasso, however, accepted and completed the project for his friend, Jacob, during the winter of 1913/14 by making three etchings and drypoints, to which he gave the titles Femme nue, Nature morte au crâne, and Femme.
Le Siège de Jérusalem, grande tentation céleste de Saint Matorel was written at Quimper and completed on November 8, 1911. This three act play reflects Jacob's mystic quest, as well as his research into the cabala and astrology.' (Patrick Cramer).
Paul Bonet owned a copy of 'Le Siège de Jérusalem', presented to him by Max Jacob himself. Bonet's copy featured additional drawings by Jacob, an analysis of the work, a manuscript poem ('Mystique') and numerous annotations and was bound by Bonet in 1953. The book is now in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. This copy, bound in the following decade, was executed - as noted by Bonet in his Carnets - for the Bibliothèque Maus, Geneva by Desmules (for the binding) and Raphael (for the gilding) between May 1963 and May 1964. Edmée Maus (1905 - 1971)owned a prestigious collection of books, including many very fine livres d'artistes (among them a presentation copy of the édition de tête of Chagall's 'Fables' with an original drawing by Chagall); the Maus collection of livres d'artistes was sold by Kornfeld and Klipstein in 1974.
[Cramer 3; Bloch 25 - 27; Geiser 35 - 37; Bonet Carnets 1455].
[79 unnumbered leaves; blank leaf, 23 leaves with half-title, title and text, inserted leaf with first etching, 20 leaves with text, inserted leaf with second etching, 16 leaves with text, inserted leaf with third etching, 15 leaves with text, author's note, colophon and 'achevé d'imprimer', blank leaf]. 8vo. (223 x 160 mm). Half-title, printed title in red and black with the woodcut vignette after André Derain and 3 plates (an etching, a drypoint and an etching with drypoint) by Pablo Picasso [Bloch 25 - 27] printed by Eugène Delatre (sheet size: 218 x 152 mm). Full black calf polished calf by Paul Bonet with his signature gilt and dated 1964, front and rear boards with a field of inlaid lozenges of white calf beneath onlaid sections of curvilinear calf in a variety of colours (shades of orange, yellow, rust and grey), title gilt to spine, turn-ins and doublure edges of yellow calf, orange brushed suede doublures, original printed japon wrappers and backstrip preserved, a.e.g., calf-backed marbled board chemise with gilt title and matcching slipcase.
#43271
