Lot Essay
Tériade had worked with Picasso over a period of many years with Minotaure and Verve, but Le Chant des Morts was the only illustrated book which they produced together.
When Picasso first saw Reverdy's series of 43 poems he planned to illustrate them in the traditional manner, by designing illustrations separately from the text. Finally, however, inspired by Reverdy's large handwritten text, Picasso decided, in a unique fashion, to unite text and illustration, illuminating - in mediaeval style - the black manuscript with broad red brush strokes. The bold designs lend the text an enormous, almost ritual intensity. 'Il faut le dire: avec le Chant des Morts, Picasso réinvente l'illustration du livre' (Hommage à Tériade, p. 140).
When Picasso first saw Reverdy's series of 43 poems he planned to illustrate them in the traditional manner, by designing illustrations separately from the text. Finally, however, inspired by Reverdy's large handwritten text, Picasso decided, in a unique fashion, to unite text and illustration, illuminating - in mediaeval style - the black manuscript with broad red brush strokes. The bold designs lend the text an enormous, almost ritual intensity. 'Il faut le dire: avec le Chant des Morts, Picasso réinvente l'illustration du livre' (Hommage à Tériade, p. 140).