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an old book with a green cover sitting on top of a white tablean old green book with gold and red designs on itthe front cover of a green book with gold trimmingsan open book sitting on top of a table next to a wallan image of a brown and green purse sitting on top of a tablea close up of a book with a label on ita drawing of a view of a building through a windowan old book with a drawing of a building in the middle of ita painting of a man sitting on the floora menu for a restaurant that is on the tablethe front cover of a book with a black and white image of the titlean open book with a drawing of a man sitting in a doorwaydrawing of an open book with a picture of a building in the backgrounda drawing of a man sitting on a bench in front of a buildingan open book with a drawing of a city on ita painting of a view of a city with a clock towera picture of a book with a picture of a boat in the watera picture of a drawing of a bridge over a riveran open book with a picture of a boat on the watera drawing of a street scene with people and a horsea picture of a book with a picture of boats in the watera drawing of a building with a fountain in front of itdrawing of a group of people walking in front of a clock towera picture of a painting of a boat on the watera picture of a painting of a boat on the wateran open book with a drawing of a landscape on ita piece of paper that has writing on it
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28 - BARRÈS (Maurice). The Death of Venice.
See original version (French)

Estimate €1,500 - €2,000
Sale commission
Description
BARRÈS (Maurice). The Death of Venice. A unique copy containing 27 original watercolours, presented in a splendid art binding by René Kieffer. Paris, René Kieffer Editions, 1920. In-4 volume (264 x 214 mm), full pine-green morocco, covers adorned with an elaborate design comprising cold-embossed rectangles and a chequered square of Lavallière and brown leather decorated with stylised mosaic faces and flowers, smooth spine decorated in the same style, gilt head, endpapers and silk endleaves. Covers preserved. Binding signed by René Kieffer. 126 pp. - [1] blank folio - [44] plates, 27 plates of original watercolours. Art edition illustrated with 22 original etchings by the painter Georges le Meilleur. Copy on Whatman paper, unnumbered, bearing the inscription ‘Printed for Dr Henri Voisin’, like the 70 copies on large-format paper. Like the 20 first-edition copies, it is enhanced by an original watercolour signed by Le Meilleur and three states of the etchings (including the pure etching and an intermediate state with a note). Furthermore, this copy contains 27 original watercolours signed with the artist’s initials or signature. Enriched with an autograph letter signed by the artist dated 2 August 1914, addressed to René Kieffer and bound in-fine (2 pages in-8). Georges le Meilleur (1869–1945) produced 22 etchings inspired by Canaletto’s panoramas. This was his first work as an illustrator of a book. He had already exhibited three times at the Salon des artistes français and twice at the Salon de la société nationale des Beaux-Arts (woodcuts). In the interwar period, he illustrated works by Verhaeren and Alfred de Musset, among others, but did not collaborate with Kieffer again. “It was in Venice that I decided my whole life,” wrote Maurice Barrès in *Le culte du moi* (1892); inspired by his many trips to La Serenissima, this poetic essay first appeared in the collection Amori i Dolori Sacrum (1902). Begun before the outbreak of the Great War (the etching plates bear the date 1914), the Kieffer edition was not finalised until 1920. Carteret IV, 60: ‘a fine, sought-after and highly valued edition’. A splendid copy.
See original version (French)
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About the sale Fine antique and collectible books, manuscripts and modern illustrated works
Auction location
Auction time 06/29/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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