Couleurs. Contes avec des Gravures de J.-E. Laboureur
Laboureur, Jean-Emile. Gourmont, Remy de
Paris. Camille Bloch, Editeur. 1929
The unique nominatif copy on papier Impérial du Japon printed for the publisher Camille Bloch with all of Laboureur's original drawings for the book and a wealth of additional material.
From the edition limited to 335 copies (including 25 hors commerce lettered copies for the collaborators), with this unique nominatif copy aside for the publisher with the printed text 'EXEMPLAIRE C. B. / imprimé pour MONSIEUR CAMILLE BLOCH' to the justification; as for the copies of the édition de tête numbered in Roman numerals, this copy is printed on papier Impérial du Japon.
Remy de Gourmont’s compendium of texts, each of the twelve tales and one drama is titled with, inspired by or reflects upon a specific colour and opens with a relevant quotation, from Van Gogh (‘Jaune’), Baudelaire (’Noir’), Mallarmé (‘Blanc’) and so on. Each of de Gourmont’s texts is also the subject of a full-page colour etching, a colour initial to match the titles and a head-piece (several tail-pieces feature too) by Jean-Emile Laboureur. In a separate volume are gathered all of Laboureur’s drawings for the book, those for the full-page plates are signed by Laboureur, an extensive series of suites of the plates that include proofs and trials, many signed by Laboureur or the printer and a letter from Laboureur to Bloch detailing his ideas for the initials and typography.
'Le rythme donne de la beauté à la pauvre ballerine qui ne semble drapée que de sa chemise. Qu'il en donne un peu à ces femmes qui, en leurs rapides aventures, dansent trop follement peut-étre, chacune dans un des rayons de la lumière décomposée par le prisme naïf de leur désir.' (Remy de Gourmont writing in his introduction).
The additional material includes 48 original drawings, thirteen signed by Laboureur in pencil, 72 proofs and states of the full-page plates and 66 proofs and states of the head- and tail-pieces together with 3 of the title vignette.
In general terms, the additional material gathered in the second volume follows the sceme of the book although all of Laboureur’s signed original drawings for the full-page plates (13 of them) and the printed suites and proofs of them are presented in colour order first; the drawings for head- and tail-pieces (22) and initials (13) follow with their printed proof versions also in colour order.
‘Jaune’: signed drawing and six states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Noir’: signed drawing and five states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Blanc’: signed drawing and five states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching, drawing for the tail-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Bleu’: signed drawing and five states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching, drawing for the tail-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Violet’: signed drawing and seven states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching, drawing for the tail-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Rouge’: signed drawing and seven states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching, drawing for the tail-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Vert’: signed drawing and five states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching, drawing for the tail-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Zinzolin’: signed drawing and six states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Rose’: signed drawing and five states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching, drawing for the tail-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Pourpre’: signed drawing and five states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Mauve’: signed drawing and five states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching, drawing for the tail-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Lilas’: signed drawing and six states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching, drawing for the tail-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Orange’: signed drawing and five states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching, drawing for the tail-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused).
A full and detailed listing of the additional material is available on request.
From the edition limited to 335 copies (including 25 hors commerce lettered copies for the collaborators), with this unique nominatif copy aside for the publisher with the printed text 'EXEMPLAIRE C. B. / imprimé pour MONSIEUR CAMILLE BLOCH' to the justification; as for the copies of the édition de tête numbered in Roman numerals, this copy is printed on papier Impérial du Japon.
Remy de Gourmont’s compendium of texts, each of the twelve tales and one drama is titled with, inspired by or reflects upon a specific colour and opens with a relevant quotation, from Van Gogh (‘Jaune’), Baudelaire (’Noir’), Mallarmé (‘Blanc’) and so on. Each of de Gourmont’s texts is also the subject of a full-page colour etching, a colour initial to match the titles and a head-piece (several tail-pieces feature too) by Jean-Emile Laboureur. In a separate volume are gathered all of Laboureur’s drawings for the book, those for the full-page plates are signed by Laboureur, an extensive series of suites of the plates that include proofs and trials, many signed by Laboureur or the printer and a letter from Laboureur to Bloch detailing his ideas for the initials and typography.
'Le rythme donne de la beauté à la pauvre ballerine qui ne semble drapée que de sa chemise. Qu'il en donne un peu à ces femmes qui, en leurs rapides aventures, dansent trop follement peut-étre, chacune dans un des rayons de la lumière décomposée par le prisme naïf de leur désir.' (Remy de Gourmont writing in his introduction).
The additional material includes 48 original drawings, thirteen signed by Laboureur in pencil, 72 proofs and states of the full-page plates and 66 proofs and states of the head- and tail-pieces together with 3 of the title vignette.
In general terms, the additional material gathered in the second volume follows the sceme of the book although all of Laboureur’s signed original drawings for the full-page plates (13 of them) and the printed suites and proofs of them are presented in colour order first; the drawings for head- and tail-pieces (22) and initials (13) follow with their printed proof versions also in colour order.
‘Jaune’: signed drawing and six states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Noir’: signed drawing and five states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Blanc’: signed drawing and five states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching, drawing for the tail-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Bleu’: signed drawing and five states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching, drawing for the tail-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Violet’: signed drawing and seven states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching, drawing for the tail-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Rouge’: signed drawing and seven states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching, drawing for the tail-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Vert’: signed drawing and five states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching, drawing for the tail-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Zinzolin’: signed drawing and six states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Rose’: signed drawing and five states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching, drawing for the tail-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Pourpre’: signed drawing and five states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Mauve’: signed drawing and five states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching, drawing for the tail-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Lilas’: signed drawing and six states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching, drawing for the tail-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused);
‘Orange’: signed drawing and five states / proofs of the full-page etching, drawing for the head-piece and three states / proofs of the etching, drawing for the tail-piece and three states / proofs of the etching plus the drawing for the initial (unused).
A full and detailed listing of the additional material is available on request.
pp. 231. 2 vols. 8vo. (240 x 168 mm). Printed title with 'Couleurs' in burgundy and engraved vignette by Laboureur, de Gourmont's introduction and de Gourmont's thirteen tales, each titled with a different colour (see below) with matching four-line initial, full-page colour etching as frontispiece and etched head-piece, 9 tail-pieces are also included, 'Table' and final leaf with three-line initial in red, achevé d'imprimer and justification; 36 original etchings by Laboureur including the vignette for the title. Together with a separate volume with suites, proofs and Laboureur's original drawings (see also below). Full polished rose calf by Mercher with his signature gilt and dated 1970, oval excisions from front and rear boards with inset panels of clear plexiglas to show the colour decor to free endpapers, smooth spine with gilt title, doublures of argent silk, original cream printed patterned-paper wrappers and backstrip preserved, a.e.g., matching rose calf-backed white wool-lined wooden board chemise and matching slipcase, the drawings and suites in matching rose calf-backed white paper boards, a.e.g., and matching slipcase.
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