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an open book with a picture of a cat and a picture of a cat on ita black book sitting on top of a white table next to a white walla book with the title of the novel contes cruels written on itan open book with a black and white title on itan open book sitting on top of a white table next to a cup of coffeean open book with a picture of a skeleton on itan open book with a picture of a cat sitting on top of itan image of a book with a picture of a person in the skyan image of a drawing of a man with a flower in his handan open book with a picture of a man on itan open book with a drawing of a castle on ita black and white drawing of a face with eyesa poem written on the back of an open bookan old book with a drawing of a man with a hat on itan open book with a picture of a man and a woman on itan old book with a picture of a group of people holding umbrellasan image of a black and white picture of a group of peoplean image of a black and white drawing of an octopus in the oceanan open book sitting on top of a table next to a white walltwo books with pictures of cats on them on a tabletwo pages of a menu and a ticket on a table
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302 - VILLIERS DE L'ISLE-ADAM, Auguste de and AVATI, Mario. *Conte…
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Estimate €800 - €1,000
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Description
VILLIERS DE L'ISLE-ADAM, Auguste de and AVATI, Mario. *Contes Cruels*. A rare copy of this modern illustrated edition, featuring 25 original etchings by Mario Avati, further enriched by five preparatory pastels signed by the artist, two copperplate prints and a set of all the compositions on pearlescent Japanese paper. Paris, Cercle Grolier, 1956. Quarto, loose-leaf, in a cardboard slipcase and a grey and black case. 117 pp, 25 etchings, including 10 full-page ones. Some slight scuffing to the cardboard cover, a small coffee stain at the bottom of the table of contents and slight yellowing of the paper in one of the pastels. A fine edition offering an unconventional artistic interpretation of Villiers de L’Isle-Adam’s *Contes Cruels*, illustrated with 25 original etchings by Mario Avati (1921–2009), ten of which are full-page. A unique edition of 220 numbered copies printed on large Rives vellum (no. 54). Our copy is enhanced by: - 5 preparatory pastel drawings for the illustrations, some of which have been corrected in pencil, all hand-signed by Mario Avatiu (mounted on passe-partout with captions in graphite on the reverse). - 2 copperplate prints of the illustrations on pp. 63 (108 x 138 mm) and 97 (170 x 140 cm), the latter being a full-page print. - a set of all the engravings printed on pearlescent Japanese paper, in a printed slipcase bearing the artist’s signature in graphite. - the menu on Rives paper published to mark a dinner hosted by the Grolier bibliophile society on 15 December 1956, decorated with an original etching and bearing an autograph dedication signed in graphite (enclosed: a wine label and the menu card from the same dinner in in-8 format) This collection is unique not only because of the very nature of the illustrations, executed in the ‘manière noire’ style, whose mystery and fantastical quality are reminiscent of the cinematic imagination of Tim Burton or Henry Selick across the Atlantic. The exceptional combination of different media (separate prints, plates and pastels), particularly on pages 63 and 97, greatly enhances the scope for comparison and the artistic appeal of this publication. A very fine, richly illustrated copy, highly sought-after!
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About the sale Miscellaneous Books
Auction location
Auction time 07/06/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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