Peter Bichsel   Fine Books

Hugo, Victor. Bernard, Émile. La fin de Satan. Edition du cinquantenaire. Cinquante eaux-fortes originales de Emile Bernard.

With engr. frontispiece and 49 orig. etchings on plates by E. Bernard, all protected by transparent paper with printed number and title. 219, (1) pp., 6 leaves. Large folio. Loose quires and plates as issued on orig. wrappers and half calf box with title on front cover and spine. – Paris, Le livre contemporain, 1935.

One of 120 numbered copies on Vélin d’Arches spécial. Here no. 93 printed for Jacques André. Published in memory of the work of Victor Hugo and celebrating his fiftieth year of death. Emile Bernard (1868–1941) was member of the Nabis. His present etchings have the power and the beauty of Rouault’s religous illustrations. In particular: Plates no. 4 with the astonishing expression of Satan’s head, no. 17 with its impressive light and shadow, no. 35 with the opposition of Juda’s and Jesus’ head and no. 42 with Christ bearing the cross. The epic poem by Victor Hugo (1802–1885) ist one of his last texts and has never been fully achieved. It was first published posthumously in 1886. – Carteret IV, 208 (“Puissante illustration cotée“). – Bookplate on second flyleaf. Lower portion of cloth of box front cover torn off. Few plates or lieves with occasional foxing. Good to very good in all. – Best.-Nr. 25129