« Les Complices »
Accompanied by the book, with its dust jacket. It differs very slightly from the first version proposed by the illustrator, following the notes made on the verso by Simenon: the arms and hands of the two figures are “in their place,” and Jacquelin added a scroll to lend more lightness to the design.
This piece comes from the personal archives of the illustrator, Jean Jacquelin, with the estate stamp.
The book was published by Presses de la Cité in January 1956, before being reissued three years later in the new series of cartonnage bindings launched in 1957 by Sven Nielsen.
It was in the spring of 1945 that Simenon met Sven Nielsen, owner of Messageries du Livre, who aspired to become a publisher. This marked the beginning of a long and solid friendship: Simenon would go on to publish with Presses de la Cité for the following thirty-six years. In contrast to the sober Gallimard covers, Nielsen chose to illustrate the novels of “his” author with color pictorial dust jackets. First drawn, then, from 1953, photographic, and then, starting with Le Fils (1957), a return to publisher’s boards covered with a dust jacket illustrated in color with a motif or stylized figure. This entire new series was produced by Jean Jacquelin, until 1962, comprising twenty-seven titles:
Le Fils (1957, cover for the first edition); Le Nègre (1957, cover for the first edition); Strip-Tease (1958, cover for the first edition); En cas de malheur (1958, cover for a reissue); L’Escalier de fer (1958, cover for a reissue); Dimanche (1958, cover for the first edition); Le Président (1958, cover for the first edition); Le Passage de la ligne (1958, cover for the first edition); La neige était sale (1959, cover for a reissue); Les Témoins (1959, cover for a reissue); Le Veuf (1959, cover for the first edition); La Vieille (1959, cover for the first edition); Les Volets verts (1959, cover for a reissue); Une vie comme neuve (1960, cover for a reissue); Trois chambres à Manhattan (1960, cover for a reissue); Les Complices (1960, cover for a reissue); L’Ours en peluche (1960, cover for the first edition); Le Temps d’Anaïs (1960, cover for a reissue); Lettre à mon juge (1960, cover for a reissue); La Mort de Belle (1960, cover for a reissue); Feux rouges (1961, cover for a reissue); Je me souviens (1961, cover for a reissue); Betty (1961, cover for the first edition); Le Train (1961, cover for the first edition); Les Fantômes du chapelier (1961, cover for a reissue); La Porte (1962, cover for the first edition); Les Autres (1962, cover for the first edition).
The illustrator was, by this time, already a recognized poster artist. A major exhibition was devoted to him in 1993 at the Bibliothèque Forney, accompanied by a richly illustrated catalogue (Jean Jacquelin affichiste et dessinateur publicitaire).
A unique piece, in fine condition.