Georges BRAQUE - Original Print - Etching - The Doves (A poem in each book Paul Eluard) 3

Artist : Georges BRAQUE (1882-1963)

Title : The doves, 1955

Medium : Etching on paper

Type of work :  Print monogrammed in the plate by the artist. This artist's proof was published in addition to the unsigned edition at 120 copies of the frontispiece 2 of the book tribute to Paul Eluard "A poem in every book" published by Louis Broder in 1956. The work comes from the album called "Album A", separate edition of the book at 20 copies. Each album contains like the book 16 prints but they were printed in large margins and unlike the prints of the book, they are all signed or monogrammed by the artists. The album we have was the property of the publisher Louis BRODER. It is different from the others because it is enriched in addition to the 16 illustrations with large margins of many other prints (including this work of Georges Braque) collected by the publisher throughout his collaboration with the artists on this book.

Dimensions : 19 x 36 cm

Condition : Good

Provenance : Genevieve and Jean Paul Kahn Collection

Expert's comment : Georges Braque was an intellectual keen on poetry and music, he is the friend of Paul Eluard, René Char but also of Erik Satie. As usual from 1953, the artist multiplies in his works the references to the flight of birds. To pay homage to Eluard, it is therefore not surprising that Braque chose this etching entitled "Les colombes" in which he shows great sensitivity.

The Album and the Book :

Explanatory photo 1: Comparison between Album A offprint of "a poem in each book" printed in 20 copies and the book "a poem in each book" printed in 120 copies.
Explanatory photo 2: Album A offprint of 20 copies having belonged to the publisher Louis Broder contained in a gray canvas box with a label stuck on the back and the first cover.
Explanatory photo 3: Proof of printing of Album A which indicates the maximum number of copies of prints contained in total in the 20 albums as well as the names of the artists. It is annotated in red pencil "Editor's copy B" because it belonged to Louis Broder.
Explanatory photo 4: Original print signed and printed with wide margins by Pablo Picasso, contained in album A
Explanatory photo 5: Original print signed and printed with large margins by Max Ernst, contained in album A
Explanatory photo 6: Book "a poem in each book" printed in 120 copies, containing the 16 prints unsigned by the artists (signatures on the proof of printing of the book)
Explanatory photo 7: Print by Pablo Picasso on double page, unsigned contained in the book "a poem in each book"
Explanatory photo 8: Print by Max Ernst unsigned contained in the book "a poem in each book"

To discover in pictures the history of Album A and the rare prints it contains, click on the video below !

Biography of the artist : Born May 13, 1882 in Argenteuil, Georges Braque was the first painter to enter the Louvre during his lifetime.
He took courses to become a painter until 1905. In 1906, he discovered the Fauvism of Matisse and Derain and found in this movement a way of moving away from academicism and exploring the unknown lands of color. It was on his return from a trip to L'Estaque that he discovered cubism, which would revolutionize the plastic rhythms of painting.
In 1922, he manifested another way of approaching painting, according to determined themes. This is the third phase of his work, that of the thematic period. He has the ambition to perfect his pictorial conceptions to the extreme limit of their possibilities and thus emerges from these themes, fundamental works such as "the birds"​

History of the book and the album : We advise you to read our blog "THE ALBUM OF LOUIS BRODER: A LEGENDARY PORTFOLIO".

About Paul ELUARD : We advise you to read our blog "PAUL ELUARD: THE CHOSEN ONE OF THE ART".