FR EN
a drawing of a woman holding a knife in her hand
Jeschke Jádi Auctions Berlin

1114 - Malherbe, Henry
See original version (German)

Estimate €200 - €300
Sale commission
Description
Malherbe, Henry *La Flamme au Poing*. Printed in black and orange, with 15 original etchings, 5 text plates and 25 woodcuts by Achille Ouvré based on drawings by William Malherbe. An extra suite of 15 additional etchings bound in at the end. Paris, Aux Dépenses d’un Amateur, 1925. 2 leaves, 184 pp., 3 leaves, 1 blank leaf. Large 4°. Half-maroquin binding with generous leather corners and coloured paper endpapers (slightly rubbed; front cover bound in). Monod 7666. – First illustrated edition. – 1 of 30 copies of the special edition on Japanese paper, lavishly printed by Frazier Soye. Endpapers with magnificent marbled paper covering. - Lavishly produced French letterpress edition of Henry Malherbes’s war novel *La Flamme au Poing*, winner of the 1917 Prix Goncourt, published in 1925 by *Aux Dépenses d’un Amateur*. The work depicts, in a poetically condensed, episodic form, the experiences of French soldiers during the First World War: everyday life at the front, fear, injury, camaraderie and death are set against memories of home, love, art and nature. The ‘flame’ of the title symbolises that human and moral resilience which must be preserved in the face of the violence of war. The text has been strikingly printed in black and orange, giving it a lively, expressive character even in its typography. The artistic design combines various printmaking techniques to create a particularly richly structured book. A generously illustrated French letterpress edition of Henry Malherbe’s work, the text of which has been effectively printed in black and orange, thereby acquiring a lively, expressive character through its typography alone. The artistic design combines various printmaking techniques to create a particularly richly structured book. The volume contains 15 original etchings, 5 text copperplate engravings and 25 woodcuts by Achille Ouvré, executed after drawings by William Malherbe. The etchings form the visual centrepiece of the edition: they stand as independent original prints alongside the typeset text and deepen the atmosphere of the text. The copperplate prints and woodcuts integrated into the text simultaneously create a close connection between literature, illustration and book typography. The interplay between the black-and-orange typesetting and the various graphic techniques lends the work the character of a carefully staged French artist’s book from the 1920s. Particularly noteworthy is the extra suite of 15 additional etchings bound at the end of the volume. This suite considerably expands the scope of the illustrations and makes this copy a particularly attractive variant for bibliophiles. Whilst the etchings bound into the main volume are directly linked to the book’s design, the additional suite allows for a focused examination of Ouvré’s graphic work based on William Malherbe’s originals. Henry Malherbe is one of the French writers of the first half of the 20th century; his works are often characterised by personal experiences, psychological tension and a powerful language shaped by the upheavals of his time. *La Flamme au Poing* appears here not merely as a literary text, but as an elaborately designed object of book art. Achille Ouvré, who, as an illustrator and graphic artist, designed numerous French luxury and press prints, translates William Malherbe’s drawings into a nuanced series of etchings, copperplate prints and woodcuts. It is precisely this variety of techniques that meets the high standards of the edition. A decorative French press print from the interwar period, exceptionally attractive in its completeness, which combines literature, original prints and typographical sophistication in an exemplary manner. Of particular interest to collectors due to the extensive illustrations and the bound-in supplementary suite of 15 etchings. World War I. – Half-morocco binding with leather edges and marbled paper inlay on the covers (slightly rubbed, original cover bound in). Printed in black and orange, with 15 original etchings, 5 text etchings and 25 woodcuts by Ouvre after Malherbe, and an extra suite comprising 15 additional etchings. First illustrated edition. - One of 30 copies of the deluxe edition on Japanese paper, lavishly printed by Frazier Soye. Endpapers with splendid marbled-paper coverings. A lavishly produced French private-press edition of Henry Malherbe’s *La Flamme au Poing*, the war novel awarded the Prix Goncourt in 1917, published in 1925 by *Aux Dépenses d’un Amateur*. In a poetically condensed, episodic form, the work depicts the experiences of French soldiers during the First World War: everyday life at the front, fear, wounds, camaraderie and death are set against memories of home, love, art and nature. The ‘flame’ of the title symbolises the human and moral resilience that must be preserved in the face of the violence of war. The text is effectively printed in black and orange, lending the volume a vivid and expressive typographical character. Its artistic design combines several graphic techniques to create an exceptionally rich work of book art. The volume contains 15 original etchings, 5 copperplate illustrations within the text, and 25 woodcuts by Achille Ouvré, based on drawings by William Malherbe. The etchings form the principal visual element of the edition: appearing as independent original prints alongside the text, they deepen and extend its atmosphere. The copperplate illustrations and woodcuts integrated into the text create a close relationship between literature, illustration and book typography. The interplay of the black-and-orange typography with the various printmaking techniques lends the work the character of a carefully conceived French artist’s book from the 1920s. Of particular note is the supplementary suite of 15 additional etchings bound in at the end of the volume. This suite substantially expands the illustrative content and makes this copy a particularly desirable bibliophile’s edition. Whilst the etchings included in the main text are directly linked to the book’s pictorial design, the additional suite offers a concentrated overview of Ouvré’s graphic work based on William Malherbe’s designs. Henry Malherbe belongs to the generation of French writers active in the first half of the twentieth century; his works are often characterised by personal experience, psychological tension and an intense language shaped by the upheavals of his era. Here, *La Flamme au Poing* is not merely a literary text, but an elaborately designed work of book art. Achille Ouvré, an illustrator and printmaker responsible for the decoration of numerous French deluxe and private-press editions, translates William Malherbe’s drawings into a varied sequence of etchings, copperplate illustrations and woodcuts. This diversity of techniques fully reflects the edition’s ambitious artistic standard. A decorative and, in its completeness, exceptionally appealing French private-press book from the interwar period, combining literature, original graphic art and typographical refinement to exemplary effect. Of particular interest to collectors due to its extensive illustrations and the additional suite of 15 etchings bound in at the end.
See original version (German)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale Valuable books, prints, historical photographs
Auction location
Auction time 10/24/2026 at 10:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like