Exceptional illuminated manuscript of 35 poems by Stéphane Mallarmé, probably copied by Joris-Karl Huysmans on watermarked Hollande laid paper, after pre-first editions of the poems published in journals. Most of the poems are preceded by a separate title-page noting the source from which it is taken.

The manuscript includes a fine charcoal portrait of Mallarmé as a frontispiece by Charles Tichon, after a photographic portrait by Van Bosch. The portrait was published in the Mallarmé issue of Empreintes (Bruxelles, L’Écran du Monde, n° 10-11). Another version was published in 1889 (Caprice Revue, 2e année, n° 60). 

 two floral compositions in gouache and watercolor illustrating the poems Les Fleurs and Apparition, as well the calligraphed author's name as a title-page. Although unsigned, the illutrations are attributed to Louise or Marie Danse.

Bradel binding, contemporary cream silk boards with floral motif, two embroidered green silk markers with floral motif, gilt semis patternerd flyleaves and pastedowns, slightly faded red edges. Dampstains on the lower part of the lower board, rubbed corners, a few silk threads loosened on the spine, rubbed boards. 

Outstanding manuscript of 35 poems by Stéphane Mallarmé, written shortly before the first collected edition of his poetry of which only 47 copies were ever printed (Poésies, photolithographed, Revue indépendante, 1887). This carefully calligraphed collection is attributed to the hand of writer Joris-Karl Huysmans, a great admirer of the poet who is said to have given the manuscripts to his friend Jules Destrée.

This scribal manuscript which includes some of Mallarmé’s most celebrated pieces such as Hérodiade, L'Après-midi d'un faune, Le tombeau d'Edgar Poe, Prose pour des Esseintes, Le vierge, le vivace et le bel aujourd'hui, appeared for the first time in the posthumous sale of the Belgian politician and writer Jules Destrée in 1936 at the Galerie Leopold in Brussels. A pencil note on the title page of the collection reads: “According to Mr. Simonson [expert at the Destrée sale], this manuscript was sent by J.K. Huysmans to Jul. Destrée, who wanted to read Mallarmé's poems, which remained unpublished at the time. (Verified through Huysmans' correspondence sold on the same day as this manuscript).” As evidenced in their letters, Destrée did seek out the help of his friend Huysmans to obtain Mallarmé poems, as his work was not readily accessible, being for the most part published in journals (L'Artiste, Les Lettres et les Arts, La République des lettres, etc.) and in the collections of Le Parnasse contemporain. In a letter to Destrée, Huysmans wrote, “You ask me where Mallarmé's poems can be found. They are untraceable, but they are in this envelope. Published in 1876 in La République des Lettres, they were copied, at least the best ones, by Le Chat Noir in 1886. I bought two issues, which allows me to send them to you. You will see that they are superb, written in clear, incisive, and very strange language.” (30 November 1887). It is possible that the poems “in this envelope” mentioned by Huysmans are the ones Destrée later had bound in this manuscript collection. Huysmans may have copied for Destrée the poems from the journals he only had one copy of and sent him his extra copy of Le Chat Noir from 1886, which included the prose poems Plaintes d'automne, Frisson d'hiver I et II, and Le Phénomène futur.

The writing style of the poems in the collection is indeed very similar to Huysmans' own handwriting – his manuscript of his poem collection Le Drageoir à épices displays the same rounded, curling style. However, Huysmans' handwriting varies considerably depending on the circumstances: novel manuscripts, letters, first drafts, etc. The excessively neat calligraphy of the poems contrasts with the hasty, tall, and cramped handwriting of several of his other manuscripts. Only a comparative study of his handwriting, particularly his capital letters, allows us to recognize a consistency across his autograph material.

This study was first carried out by the bookseller Paul Van der Perre, who firmly attributed the collection to Huysmans in his March 1956 catalog: “This book, containing a beautiful portrait of Mallarmé, drawn in pencil and charcoal, and 35 poems on Hollande paper, is said to have been written by J.-K. HUYSMANS, according to a tradition corroborated by comparisons of handwriting. He is said to have sent it to J. Destrée so that he could read the poet's work, as no edition was available in bookshops at the time. Two pieces, “Les Fleurs” and “Apparition,” were decorated with floral compositions in watercolor and gouache. These decorations, two silk markers and the entire presentation, both inside and out, have a charming period feel and give this notebook the appeal of a moving souvenir, sure to touch the heart of any Mallarmé afficionado (quoted in Gustave Vanwelkenhuyzen, Correspondance inédite de Huysmans à Destrée, Droz, 1967). It was through the same comparative handwriting study we were able to confirm the attribution to Huysmans.

This collection would therefore represent a final token of admiration: after quoting verses from Hérodiade and L'Après-midi d'un faune in his most famous novel A Rebours, Huysmans neatly and reverently copied them here once again for one of his friends. We know how much Huysmans admired Mallarmé's work and collected his poems himself while writing A Rebours – asking the author directly for them: “Could you get me La Mort de l'Antépénultième, which appeared in a magazine I can't find the name of... And L'Hérodiade, which I will need very much, because my hero will have in his home the admirable watercolor by Gustave Moreau, as well as the stunning reveries of Odilon Redon... I will give you L'Hérodiade, along with my attempt to describe the magic of Moreau... I would also like, if possible, to have more verses from Le Faune [L’Après-midi d’un faune] than Mendès has given me” (22 October 1882). It should be noted that the collection also includes the famous Prose à Des Esseintes, Mallarmé's poetic offering to the dandy character of A Rebours who was so fond of his poetry.  Julien Gracq in his Littérature à l'estomac refers to this method of dissemination of Mallarmé poems before they were published in book form. Both Verlaine and Pierre Louÿs also copied out his poems for their own use. 

After receiving Huysmans' manuscript leaves, his friend Destrée had them bound in cream silk brocade with two colored silk markers, in keeping with Des Esseintes' refined taste. The poems Les Fleurs and Apparition were embellished with watercolors and gouache 

Destrée certainly employed the illustrative talents of his sister-in-law Louise Danse or his wife, Marie Destrée (née Danse), both of whom began careers as artists, illustrators, and engravers. They were trained by their father, Auguste Danse, who founded an engraving workshop in Mons entirely dedicated to engraving. Incidentally, Charles Tichon, author of the frontispiece portrait, was also a student of Auguste Danse. It is difficult to determine which of the sisters is to be credited for the embellishments in the manuscript.

The calligraphy of “Stéphane Mallarmé” on one of the first pages of the collection is exactly the same as the cover title of her husband’s book of poems Les Chimères (1889), in an “organic and neo-Gothic typography [that] attests to a taste for the bizarre typical of the end of the century.” (Charlotte Foucher Zarmanian). This calligraphy is also present in her sister's work, who also did flower etchings Lys (Lilies) and Orchidées (Orchids, Royal Library of Belgium) very similar to the gouaches in this manuscript.

 However, a second pencil note on the title page attributes the illustrations to famous Symbolist painter Fernand Khnopff, which we are unable to confirm.

The volume contains the following poems: Les Fenêtres, Le Sonneur , A celle qui est tranquille, Verenovo, L'azur, Les Fleurs, Soupir, Brise marine, A un pauvre, Epilogue, Tristesse d'été, Les lèvres roses, Hérodiade,  L'Après-midi d'un faune, Placet, Le Guignon, Apparition, Sainte, Don du poème, Cette nuit, Le tombeau d'Edgar Poe, Toast funèbre, Prose pour des Esseintes, Le vierge, le vivace et le bel aujourd'hui, Quelle soie aux baumes de temps, A Richard Wagner, Victorieusement fui le suicide beau, M'introduire dans ton histoire, Tout orgueil fume-t-il du soir, Surgi de la croupe et du bond, Une dentelle s'abolit, Mes bouquins refermés sur le nom de Paphos, Ses purs ongles très haut dédiant leur onyx, Le pitre châtié, et Eventail. 

Provenance : Jules Destrée, his sale (may 1936, no. 439) ; catalogue Van der Perre (mars 1956) ; Drouot auction sale (10 juin 1988, no. 52, expert Pierre Bérès) ; Jaime Ortiz-Patiño (Sotheby's, 2 December 1998, no. 60).