MONLUC (Adrian de). La Maigre. Mise en lumière et en page pa - Lot 178

MONLUC (Adrian de). La Maigre. Mise en lumière et en page par Iliazd. P., Degré Quarante et Un (Iliazd), 1952. Small folio (411 x 250 mm), beige calf, title, names of author and illustrator on spine, suede endpapers, original parchment cover and spine preserved, matching folder and slipcase (Creuzevault). LIMITED EDITION OF 52 machine-numbered copies (there were also 22 copies hors commerce, 2 of which were for legal deposit), all printed on Autrefois China paper and signed by Iliazd and Picasso (this one no. 12). Illustrated with ten original drypoints by Pablo Picasso, including one on the cover and nine on double-page spreads. "This remarkable book is the result of a discovery in a bookseller's shop. One day, Iliazd found the text of a certain Guillaume de Vaux, whom he identified as Adrian de Monluc, comte de Cramail (1571-1646), and of whom he drew up an important chronology that was not published until after his death, in 1980... Picasso initially agreed to illustrate Iliazd's find, and Iliazd provided him with the appropriate coppers. A few weeks later, however, Picasso mislaid the plates. Iliazd brought him new copperplates and waited. At the next meeting, Picasso excused his indolence by saying: I don't know the text and the author is completely unknown. Iliazd brought him his copy, Picasso read it and suddenly set to work with enthusiasm. Goeppert-Cramer 63.