Untitled, from: Les jeux de la poupée

Details

Hans Bellmer (German, 1902-1975)
Untitled, from: Les jeux de la poupée
four photographs with handtinting, 1930s, one mounted on black card, three others taped in pink passepartouts, from the series produced for the book with text by Paul Eluard, published 1949 by Heinz Berggruen, Les Editions Premières, generally in very good condition
Overall S. 325 x 325 mm., the black card S. 255 x 194 mm. (4)

Literature

Exh.cat. Hans Bellmer. Photographs, Kranner Art Museum, university of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1991, p. 19-30

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Please note that this lot has been withdrawn.

Lot Essay

Jeux de la poupée was first published in 1939, in the magazine Messages. As a book it was published ten years later, after WWII in 1949.
The book comprised 14 prose poems by Paul Eluard and 15 handtinted photographs by Bellmer. The introduction was written by Bellmer and included six drawings and diagrams.
The handtinting was done by a small group, amongst whom Paul Eluard, Herta Hausmann and Christian d'Orgeix. The series caused a scandal. Confronted with this critical reception of the book Bellmer stated that Les jeux de la poupée were a mere token of a scandalous world.

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