Meidosems
Paris, Éditions du Point du jour, (31 October) 1948.
1 vol. (185 x 250) of 95 p. and 2 f. Black morocco, covers decorated with a large mosaic design in red box, red box for endpapers, double red box for endpapers and decorated paper, gilt title, gilt edges on witnesses, fillets on the cups, preserved covers and spine, folder and case edged (binding signed by M. de Bellefroid).
First edition.
One of the first 20 (after [2] China) on Arches (No. XV), signed by the author and the publisher (René Bertelé).
Signed dedication: ‘to Mr Robert Moureau, in homage, Henri Michaux’.
The first and the large illustrated book by Michaux: 12 lithographs by the author, plus the cover.
Precious top copy, with a large-margin suite in three states: sanguine, green and saffron, i.e. 36 plates, all on Arches wove paper.
We apologize for the imperfect translation generated by Deepl for the purposes of the show.
The poet’s first book of paintings, ‘Meidosems is of paramount importance in Michaux’s work due to the osmosis established between the text and the lithographs, in a face-to-face relationship in which the integrity of the two forms of expression is nevertheless preserved’ (Marie-Françoise Quignard). The writing of the book came at a tragic time in Michaux’s life: the accidental death of his wife. From this drama, he created the Meidosems, beings he describes as uncertain: ‘One can only catch a glimpse of them. […] It is with all his sewn that he unstitches, that he sews again, with his lack that he possesses, that he takes. […] More arm than octopus, all sewn up with legs and hands right up to the neck, the Meidosem. […] Meidosem, with a head full of tree structures, eyes gouged out, looking not through the gouged-out eyes, but through the sorrow of their loss and through the dark suffering…’
A magnificent copy of the head, including, bound separately in a matching binding, the triple suite, augmented by two original lithographs, one of which is on a double page, justified and signed in pencil by Henri Michaux. These additional lithographs, known as ‘refusées’ (rejected), were included in some of the copies of the head and announced in the subscription bulletin. They are printed on Johannot wove paper, with wide margins and identical to the suites. Our copy has two of the three rejected plates, making a total of 51 original lithographs. By way of justification, the publisher emphasises the fact that ‘to illustrate [the work], Henri Michaux produced twelve lithographs from the stone for the first time’. These were the only lithographs executed by Michaux himself.
Attached is the original tracing of Micheline de Bellefroid’s model, in pencil and ink (1 sheet 180 x 245 mm). This binding was exhibited at the artist’s first retrospective in Belgium (Brussels, Galerie Vendôme, 16-28 March 1963), reproduced in colour on the exhibition poster and in the magazine Chronique graphique (30 March 1963, no. 169), then loaned on numerous occasions in all the major exhibitions devoted to the artist’s work: Grolier Club, New York (May 1967), Galleria del Bel Libro, Ascona (21 June-23 July 1968, Librairie Blaizot, Paris (18-29 October 1972, no. 17).
An important copy of the author’s most beautiful book.
From the Robert Moureau & Micheline de Bellefroid library (Sale, II, Paris, 2004, Pascal de Sadeleer exp., no. 460); Les Argonautes (catalogue 2010, Paris, no. 395).
Trésors de la Bibliothèque nationale de France, 2000, no. 92: notice by M.-F. Quignard; Coron, 50 livres illustrés depuis 1947, no. 5; Mason-Cherix, Henri Michaux. Les estampes, 1948-1984: nos. 1-13 and 14-16; Jean Toulet, Georges Leroux | Daniel Filipacchi, Bibliothèque Nationale, 1990; Grisay, 89; M. Imbert, Les Livres illustrés, 1993, no. 13; M. Imbert, Biblio, 1994, no. 33; Talvart & Place, XV, 16.
