APOLLINAIRE Guillaume L’Enchanteur pourrissant. Illustré de gravures sur bois par André Derain.

Garvey, 78; Castleman, pp. 32 & 90; Andel, Avant-Garde Pager design, p. 68-70; Monod, 348.

First edition of Apollinaire’s first book. The first book published by the young Henry Kahnweiler in Paris. André Derain’s first illustrated book.

Not only did the young artist illustrate the book, he also designed the title vignette which Kahnweiller would continue to use for all further books published by him.

When, towards the end of 1908, Kahnweiler asked Apollinaire for a text that a young artist could illustrate, the poet reworked and expanded L’Enchanteur pourrissant, published in the review Le Festin d’Ésope, adding a first and last chapter entitled Onirocritique.

Kahnweiler had in mind one of the youngest painters he was exhibiting at the time: André Derain, whom Apollinaire had known since 1904 and whom he saw as the eldest of the new generation of painters, master of Matisse and Picasso. To illustrate this book inspired by the Roman de Merlin et de Lancelot du Lac, Derain designed these woodcuts in a primitive vein that he wanted to be close to the early days of printing. Although he was thus following in the tradition of wood engraving, he also departed from it by drawing inspiration from African statuary. Apollinaire, who described L’Enchanteur as ‘one of the most mysterious and lyrical books of the new generation’, always had a particular fondness for it, and often mentioned it in his correspondence as one of his major works.

The illustration includes 32 original woodcuts by André Derain, 12 of which are full-page.

Published in a limited edition of 100 numbered copies (there were an additional 6 hors commerce copies), all signed by both the author and the artist in black ink on the justification leaf. This copy number 46 is one of 75 copies (numbered 26 to 100) printed on laid Arches paper (‘Papier vergé fort des papéteries d’Arches’).

“In contrast to the perceptible conservatism of Vollard, Daniel henry Kahnweiler enjoyed the challenge and excitement of working with avant-garde artists and writers. When, as a young man, he arrived in Paris from Germany, he too was expected to pursue an economically sound profession. Instead, he began to sell art and meet the members of the new bohemia. His idea of commissioning and artist and writer to create a book together bore its first fruit in L’Enchanteur pourrissant (1909), Apollinaire’s first book with provocative woodcuts by his friend André Derain… Because the woodcut imagery that Derain devised for Apollinaire’s tale is inspired by African carvings, it might be argued that this book marks the true origin of the modern artist’s book. It shares with avant-garde painting of the time concerns about representation, but uses figurative imagery in full-page plates and figurative initials as decorations in a traditional manner. Nevertheless, the bold forms of black against white accentuate the revolutionary intent of Derain’s illustrations” (Castleman).

A very fine copy albeit some light smudging to the lower endpapers.

Provenance: Pierre Malle – Bernard Malle.