La prière sur la Tour Eiffel
Work illustrated with typographical ornaments that some attribute to Daragnès and others to Vertès.
Two small tears re-adhered at head, spine split at foot.
First edition, one of 75 numbered copies on couleurs surfine paper, ours being one of 25 containing the three aquatints by Mimi Parent retouched in watercolor which she signed and justified, deluxe copy.
Autograph inscription signed by José Pierre to Paul Aveline.
Signatures of José Pierre and Mimi Parent below the justification page.
Work illustrated with 3 aquatints by Mimi Parent.
Spine very lightly sunned without gravity, otherwise handsome copy.
First edition, one of the press service copies.
Precious signed autograph inscription from Paul Éluard to Benjamin Fondane.
Spine with three small expertly repaired tears, of no consequence.
A moving dedication from poet to poet, written on the eve of the war during which the two friends would contribute together to poetic resistance journals such as l'Honneur des poètes.
The deportation and death of Fondane in 1944, along with many other artist and poet friends, would profoundly affect Éluard, who composed in their memory a magnificent poetic tribute, "Eternité de ceux que je n'ai pas revus," listing the names of each of the departed:
"Visages clairs souvenirs sombres
Puis comme un grand coup sur les yeux
Visages de papier brûlé
Dans la mémoire rien que cendres
La rose froide de l'oubli
Pourtant Desnos pourtant Péri
Crémieux Fondane Pierre Unik
Sylvain Itkine Jean Jausion
Grou-Radenez Lucien Legros
Le temps le temps insupportable
Politzer Decour Robert Blache
Serge Meyer Mathias Lübeck
Maurice Bourdet et Jean Frayse
Dominique Corticchiato
Et Max Jacob et Saint-Pol Roux
Rien que le temps de n'être plus
Et rien que le temps d'être tout"