Antibes

Rare first edition.
Later Bradel binding in half red cloth, smooth spine decorated with double gilt fillets at head and foot, gilt title lettered lengthwise, marbled paper boards. Two leaves trimmed slightly shorter.
Quérard, La France littéraire: "Guiot celebrates the gift made to the Public Library of Corbeil, of the Antiquités de Corbeil, par J. de Labarre, one hundred and fifty-three years after their printing."

Unpublished autograph letter signed by André Breton addressed to Gaston Puel; two pages on one leaf written in blue ink with fine and careful handwriting, numerous underlinings.
Foxing and marginal adhesive traces.
A very fine letter, imbued with benevolence, in which the Pope of Surrealism shares his numerous and time-consuming occupations with his young correspondent, while reassuring him about his talent and future.
Gaston Puel began corresponding with André Breton at the Liberation. They had never met at the time of this letter, written four years later: « Je suis heureux que vous ayez pensé à m'adresser votre photographie. C'est un grand pas de...

[Antibes] n.d. [1946], 23.9 x 17.7cm, one leaf.

Exceptional original photograph of Pablo Picasso by Michel Sima. The artist is holding and owl in front of his painting “Nature morte à la chouette et aux trois oursins” now in the Picasso Museum in Antibes.

Contemporary silver print. Pencil inscription on the back.

The photographer had entrusted Picasso with a wounded owl. Named Ubu, after Alfred Jarry's literary masterpiece, the bird kept the artist company in his atelier in Antibes and served as a model in many of his paintings, including the one that features in the background of this photograph.

Autograph signed letter addressed to Marcel Jean and its envelope with a handwritten poem Autograph letter signed by André Breton, likely unpublished and addressed to Marcel Jean, one page written in blue ink on a leaf of blue paper, in fine, neat handwriting. The envelope accompanying the letter is enclosed, written by André Breton and presenting an amusing handwritten poem: “C'est à Paris, rue Hégésippe / Moreau 17, que Marcel Jean / Croise, tels soufre et vif-argent, / Le perroquet et la tulipe”. On the back, Breton's address in Antibes “Shady Roch Avenue des Pins”...