1 / 18
a book with a picture of a woman sitting on a chairan old book sitting on top of a table next to a white backgroundsomeone is holding a book in their hand and it ' s on a tablean old book sitting on top of a wooden table next to a walla drawing of a woman sitting at a desk with a teddy bearan old book with a picture of a coat of arms on itan open book with a drawing of a palace on itan open book with a drawing of people on itan open book with a picture of a bird on itan open book with a picture of a man and a woman on itan open book with a drawing of a group of people dancingan open book with a drawing of a dragon on itan open book with a drawing of a man in a carriage on itan open book with a drawing of a man sitting on a benchan open book with a drawing of a woman ' s shoes and a candlean open book with a drawing of a man and a sunan old book with a drawing of a man and a womanan image of a book with a drawing of a dragon on it
Premium KÂ- MONDO / KAPANDJI MORHANGE

221 - [MANUSCRIPT]. BOUR (René), DIDEROT (Denis), Signed autograph…
See original version (French)

Estimate €1,000 - €1,500
Sale commission
Description
[MANUSCRIPT]. BOUR (René), DIDEROT (Denis), Signed autograph manuscript, "Conversation between a philosopher and the Maréchale de ***. A sumptuous, unpublished manuscript: René Bour (1908–1934) transcribed and illustrated in watercolour, on every page, Diderot’s **Conversation between a Philosopher and the Maréchale de *** by Diderot, creating a work in which the dialogue, subtly highlighted, blends with luminous, dreamlike compositions — a masterpiece of an artist’s book, commissioned by René Kieffer, begun in 1933 and completed in 1934, the year of the artist’s death, and never published. Paris, copied and illustrated by René Bouc [i.e. Bour], an CIIIVII (1937, i.e. 1934). Volume in-4 (290 x 224 mm), half-havana morocco with a long grain, spine with five raised bands decorated with two joined medallions and a special gold-stamped feather design, gilt head. Binding signed by Montécot. 116 unnumbered pages, on 29 folios, 5 leaves. This remarkable volume reproduces the complete text of the "Entretien d'un philosophe avec la maréchale de ***" over 110 pages, all adorned with original watercolours. According to a handwritten note by René Bour, it was “produced between 1933 and 1934 on commission from René Kieffer”. It appears that the half-title and title were added during binding and are not by René Bour; it was at this stage that two errors crept in: “Bouc” instead of “Bour” and “An CXXXVII” instead of “CXXXIIII”. Five sheets of preparatory drawings, appended at the end of the volume, complete this unique collection. René Bour (1908–1934), artist and writer, was the son of the painter Albert Bour (1878–1927). Although his literary career was brief, cut short by his untimely death at the age of twenty-six, his work was praised by his contemporaries for its originality and sensitivity. His literary legacy, though limited to a few titles—all published posthumously at the initiative of his mother and the Association des Amis de René Bour—bears witness to a multifaceted talent, combining poetic creation and illustration: Lewis Carroll’s *Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland* (1938, reprinted in 1951), translated and illustrated by René Bour; *The Labours of Heracles*, text and drawings by René Bour (1951), Pérrault’s Tales (1951) and *Les Métamorphoses* (Grasset, 1937), his collection of modernist poems, with a preface by Paul Claudel, which remains his best-known work. A volume entirely mounted on tabs, perfectly laid out and beautifully bound.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
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
You may also like