One of the first 45 copies on alfa paper (no. 17).
In 1947, Pierre Demarne met André Breton and for four years took part in all the activities of the Surrealist group, becoming close to Sarane Alexandrian, Jacques Kober, Francis Meunier, Jacques Hérold, and, somewhat later, Michel Butor. From 1951 onward, Demarne published art books, including Bref, étoile, illustrated by Jacques Hérold, and Pure peine perdue, illustrated by Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall. In 1956 he was associated with Édouard Jaguer’s Phases movement. In 1959, with Max Rouquerol, he published Les Ordinateurs, which went through thirteen reprintings and was translated into numerous languages, before he went on to publish several important illustrated books, including Muets chevalets (1987) and Notre Île de Pâques (1990) with Michel Butor.
Pure peine perdue was published solely for the benefit of the Association amicale des polios of the Centre National de rééducation de Garches, “the author and publisher having waived their rights for the present edition, the illustrations having been donated by Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall.”
Vignes, Bibliographies des Éditions de Minuit, no. 209: “très rare.”