La Chèvre-Feuille
Picasso, Pablo. Hugnet, Georges
Paris. Robert-J. Godet Editeur. 1943
The dedication copy with a presentation to the 'Chèvre-Feuille' herself and an adoring poetic quotation from Théophile de Viau in manuscript by Georges Hugnet.
From the edition limited to 534 numbered copies, with this copy number 'I' of 6 'exemplaires d'auteur' numbered in Roman numerals on vélin d'Arches signed by Hugnet in black ink and Picasso in red crayon to the justification and conforming to the édition de tête of 25 copies; 500 unsigned copies were issued on Lafuma as well as three nominatif copies - for Hugnet, Picasso and Godet - on Bristol d'Arches.
Hugnet's presentation, in black ink, follows the printed dedication as follows: 'A celle qui ne s'y reconnaîtra pas [i.e. the printed dedication], / Son exemplaire. / Georges Hugnet'; beneath is the poetic quotation, again in black ink by Hugnet, from Théophile de Viau: 'Ie ne veux point te descrier, / Après t'avoir loüé moi-mesme, / Ce seroit tascher d'un blaspheme / L'Autel où l'on ma veu prier, / T'ayant prodigué des loüanges, / Que je ne devois qu'à des ANges, / Ie je ne te les veux point ravir, // Ie les donne à ta tyrannie, / Pour déguiser l'ignominie, Que j'au souffert à te servir. / Théophile de Viau - Edition de 1638 / Seconde partie - page 104'.
The copies from the édition de tête, as well as those 'exemplaires d'auteur' like the present, include an additional suite of all of the zincographs in a separate wrapper (and with an additional justification), each printed in yellow, red and blue.
Further clues and details of the relationship of Hugnet and the 'chèvre-feuille' appear in other presentations of the book (Hugnet was a serial inscriber and knew everyone) referred to directlyor alluded to by Hugnet including in those copies given to Amy Bakaloff ('à mon ami Amy / dans la maison de qui la chèvre-feuille / par une nuit unique / a donné ses fleurs les plus folles ... '), Dora Maar ('à ma très chère Dora / qui m'a aidé à voir clair / dans un amour où tout ne fut pas / de soleil et d'azur ... ') and Jeanne Bucher ('à Jeanne Bucher / en souvenir du temps où / la Chèvre-Feuille / toute dorée / traversait chaque jour à la même heure / le petit jardin de Montparnasse ... ').
Two further presentations make reference to a different flower (and a different figure?) but remain suggestive, those to Paul Eluard ('à mon très cher Paul / en souvenir d'un 17 février / où il vit arriver dans ma vie / une jacinthe blanche aux cheveux si blonds / aux yeux si clairs / en souvenir d'un jour où j'étais heureux / sans le savoir et où j'adorais sans fin / et parce que le jacinthe fidèle a refleuri ... ') and Paul Bonet ('à Paul Bonet / ces poèmes aux yeux si clairs / aux cheveux si blonds / que je voudrais garder à travers le temps / leur odeur de jacinthe ... ').
Finally, another copy is known, inscribed at the head of the dedication leaf 'copié de l'exemplaire addressé à / la chèvre-feuille' and with the same presentation following the printed dedication and with the same manuscript poem by Théophile de Viau beneath as in the present dedication copy.
Also included, inserted loose, are the following:
- the original publisher's printed bandeau of cream paper (60.5 x 234 mm) with printed text in red: 'Un jour la Chèvre-Feuille me déclara: / "Vous écrivez en vers libres parce que / c'est moins difficile."'
- a leaf of cream paper matching that for the book (276 x 220 mm) printed recto only with Paul Eluard's text 'POUR GEORGES HUGNET with 14 aphoristic statements; the sheet is headed at upper right 'PRIERE D'INSERER'.
'The 27 untitled poems, traditional in form and with beautifully erotic imagery, tell of delirious love, but also of its ambivalence, which may extend even to hatred - ambivalence in which 'douceur' rhymes with 'horreur'. The epigragh by Rimbaud - 'Love, as everyone knows, must be reinvented' - warns the reader ... The six full-page illustrations of the text evoke - in a style reminiscent of Dali's - the atmosphere of clair-obscure and of bordello ... '. (Patrick Cramer).
[Cramer 38].
From the edition limited to 534 numbered copies, with this copy number 'I' of 6 'exemplaires d'auteur' numbered in Roman numerals on vélin d'Arches signed by Hugnet in black ink and Picasso in red crayon to the justification and conforming to the édition de tête of 25 copies; 500 unsigned copies were issued on Lafuma as well as three nominatif copies - for Hugnet, Picasso and Godet - on Bristol d'Arches.
Hugnet's presentation, in black ink, follows the printed dedication as follows: 'A celle qui ne s'y reconnaîtra pas [i.e. the printed dedication], / Son exemplaire. / Georges Hugnet'; beneath is the poetic quotation, again in black ink by Hugnet, from Théophile de Viau: 'Ie ne veux point te descrier, / Après t'avoir loüé moi-mesme, / Ce seroit tascher d'un blaspheme / L'Autel où l'on ma veu prier, / T'ayant prodigué des loüanges, / Que je ne devois qu'à des ANges, / Ie je ne te les veux point ravir, // Ie les donne à ta tyrannie, / Pour déguiser l'ignominie, Que j'au souffert à te servir. / Théophile de Viau - Edition de 1638 / Seconde partie - page 104'.
The copies from the édition de tête, as well as those 'exemplaires d'auteur' like the present, include an additional suite of all of the zincographs in a separate wrapper (and with an additional justification), each printed in yellow, red and blue.
Further clues and details of the relationship of Hugnet and the 'chèvre-feuille' appear in other presentations of the book (Hugnet was a serial inscriber and knew everyone) referred to directlyor alluded to by Hugnet including in those copies given to Amy Bakaloff ('à mon ami Amy / dans la maison de qui la chèvre-feuille / par une nuit unique / a donné ses fleurs les plus folles ... '), Dora Maar ('à ma très chère Dora / qui m'a aidé à voir clair / dans un amour où tout ne fut pas / de soleil et d'azur ... ') and Jeanne Bucher ('à Jeanne Bucher / en souvenir du temps où / la Chèvre-Feuille / toute dorée / traversait chaque jour à la même heure / le petit jardin de Montparnasse ... ').
Two further presentations make reference to a different flower (and a different figure?) but remain suggestive, those to Paul Eluard ('à mon très cher Paul / en souvenir d'un 17 février / où il vit arriver dans ma vie / une jacinthe blanche aux cheveux si blonds / aux yeux si clairs / en souvenir d'un jour où j'étais heureux / sans le savoir et où j'adorais sans fin / et parce que le jacinthe fidèle a refleuri ... ') and Paul Bonet ('à Paul Bonet / ces poèmes aux yeux si clairs / aux cheveux si blonds / que je voudrais garder à travers le temps / leur odeur de jacinthe ... ').
Finally, another copy is known, inscribed at the head of the dedication leaf 'copié de l'exemplaire addressé à / la chèvre-feuille' and with the same presentation following the printed dedication and with the same manuscript poem by Théophile de Viau beneath as in the present dedication copy.
Also included, inserted loose, are the following:
- the original publisher's printed bandeau of cream paper (60.5 x 234 mm) with printed text in red: 'Un jour la Chèvre-Feuille me déclara: / "Vous écrivez en vers libres parce que / c'est moins difficile."'
- a leaf of cream paper matching that for the book (276 x 220 mm) printed recto only with Paul Eluard's text 'POUR GEORGES HUGNET with 14 aphoristic statements; the sheet is headed at upper right 'PRIERE D'INSERER'.
'The 27 untitled poems, traditional in form and with beautifully erotic imagery, tell of delirious love, but also of its ambivalence, which may extend even to hatred - ambivalence in which 'douceur' rhymes with 'horreur'. The epigragh by Rimbaud - 'Love, as everyone knows, must be reinvented' - warns the reader ... The six full-page illustrations of the text evoke - in a style reminiscent of Dali's - the atmosphere of clair-obscure and of bordello ... '. (Patrick Cramer).
[Cramer 38].
[40 unnumbered leaves + inserted leaf with frontispiece etching + 18 leaves (suite) + leaf with additional justification = 60 leaves]. Small folio. (281 x 226 mm). Half-title, inserted leaf with original monochrome etching ('Deux Baigneuses') by Picasso as frontispiece, printed title in green and black, leaf with quotation from Rimbaud recto, leaf with dedication (see below) and Hugnet's verse in French illustrated with six monochrome zincograph plates by Picasso, text and plates all recto only, final leaf with achevé d'imprimer and justification recto and 'Autorisation' verso; also included in a separate wrapper and with a separate justification is the s Loose as issued in original publisher's cream Japon wrapper with title to front cover and spine, book with cream Arches wrapper with titles in green and black to front cover, suite in additional grey / green Montgolfier wrapper with title in black to front cover, later grey - green paper-covered board chemise and slipcase with gilt title to spine.
#48807
