A Bibliophile's Edition of a Brutal, Decadent Novel, with Extra Plates, and in a Binding with Intricate Gilt and Inlaid Decoration

EN RADE. [BECALMED].

(BINDINGS - KIEFFER). HUYSMANS, J. K.

(Paris: Auguste Blaizot - René Kieffer, Collection Eclectique, 1911). 302 x 212 mm. (12 x 8 1/2"). 2 p.l., 206 pp., [2] leaves. No. 4 OF 20 COPIES with an original watercolor (from a total edition of 250).

SUPERB DARK OLIVE GREEN MOROCCO, RICHLY GILT AND INLAID, BY RENÉ KIEFFER (stamp-signed on front turn-in, his label on verso of front flyleaf), covers with ornate gilt frame, central panel with five rows of three repeated inlaid morocco designs--three tan maple leaves entwined with red ribbon, these alternating with an intricate gilt lozenge, raised bands, spine compartments gilt with repeating wheel design used in the cover frames, gilt lettering, PICTORIAL WOVEN SILK DOUBLURES with a view of a chateau in burnt orange, within a dark brown frame dripping with wisteria vines, two small doves atop it, flanked on either side by a sinister owl, gold and cream patterned silk endleaves, marbled flyleaves. Original printed paper wrapper bound in. Housed in a matching (somewhat worn, but sturdy) morocco-lipped felt-lined slipcase. With 37 wood-engraved headpieces and vignettes in the text printed in gold ink, and an additional suite on chine at end of text, and 29 ETCHINGS, EACH IN THREE STATES--line etching, black & white etching, and color print, all designed by Paul Guignebault and printed by Paul Hérissy, AND AN ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR of a courtyard inhabited by three watchful owls. With a glossy black & white pictorial advertisement for a special Kieffer binding on this title bound in at rear. Four of the line etchings somewhat foxed (due to paper quality, other states unaffected), one faint finger smudge, covers very lightly rubbed (from contact with slipcase), otherwise A VERY FINE COPY--clean, fresh, and bright internally with generous margins, and IN A GLITTERING BINDING.

This bibliophile's edition of Huysman's anti-Romantic novel was produced as a joint venture between publisher/bookseller Auguste Blaizot and the binder René Kieffer, whose availability to bind copies of this work is advertised in the bound-in photographic advertisement. The purchaser of the present copy chose a more opulent design than that pictured in the ad, and clearly spared no expense in commissioning a dramatic and especially pleasing binding. Kieffer (1875-1963) was in the first class of students to graduate from the École Étienne, where he concentrated on becoming a doreur, learning to tool gold designs in the well-established style. After leaving school, he worked for Chambolle-Duru until 1898, when he established his own studio. According to Duncan & De Bartha, he "became a disciple of Marius Michel, moving gradually away from his traditional training towards a more emblematic and modern style." He would become one of the most innovative and progressive binders in Paris in the 20th century. In the present binding, he displays his design and finishing skills in impressive fashion and employs a feature he adopted in the early 20th century: silk pastedowns and endleaves incorporating motifs from the text. The inlaid maple leaves on the covers suggest autumnal decline and decay, a theme perhaps reinforced by the stormy skies of the vignette on the silk doublure and the predatory owls juxtaposed with the fragile doves. In any case, the design is innovative and pleasing. Britannica says the French writer Joris-Karl Huysmans (1848-1907) was known for vividly written "major novels [that] epitomize successive phases of the aesthetic, spiritual, and intellectual life of late 19th-century France." First issued as a magazine serial in 1886-87, "En Bade" ("Becalmed" or "Stranded") is a mixture of brutal realism and the decadent fantasy worthy of a David Lynch film. Main characters Jacques and Louise Marles have fled Paris, seeking refuge from their creditors in a cottage in the countryside. However, the retreat is darkened by the same greed, underhandedness, and disease as the degenerate city. Huysman's realistic depiction of their daily degradations and frustration contrasts sharply with his descriptions of the tranquil landscape and the vivid erotic dreams Jacques experiences. It was a text before its time, baffling contemporary critics and readers, but later being embraced and lauded by the Surrealist movement. The illustrations by painter and illustrator Paul Guignebault (1871-1931) also highlight the disparity between the bucolic vistas and snow-capped mountains of the landscape and the Marles' squalor in their decrepit cottage. Similarly, the scenes from Jacques' dreams range from sumptuous to depraved. Whether our binder meant for the 30 large maple leaf clusters on the covers to relate to the arborial context of the plot, his design--especially with its exceptionally intricate gilt fields and framing--makes a very powerful impression. (ST20757)

Price: $3,900.00