MANESSIER (Alfred) - PÉGUY (Charles). - Lot 137

MANESSIER (Alfred) - PÉGUY (Charles). Présentation de la Beauce à Notre-Dame de Chartres. Paris: Les Bibliophiles de l'union française, 1964. - Large oblong folio, 405 x 652. Leaves, in publisher's illustrated slipcase. Monumental edition of this poem by Charles Péguy, entirely produced by the painter Alfred MANESSIER (1911-1993), consisting of reproductions of the text copied by hand by the artist, embellished on practically every page with original color lithographs. This is the 5th book published by the Bibliophiles de l'union française, and only 178 copies were printed on Arches vellum, signed by the artist and the association's president. UNIQUE EXEMPLAIRE, justified: "Exemplaire hors-tirage destiné aux expositions". It is incomplete from pages 21 to 27, i.e. 12 quatrains, but it includes 30 trial prints of different pages, distributed as follows: - one additional trial print for pages 12, 13, 19, 29, 33, 34, 43, 53, 55 and 62, - two for pages 18, 28, 47 and 60, - three for pages 15 and 45, - and six for page 54. There is also a mock-up of page 45 and a duplicate of the booklet containing pages 45 to 48. Page 28 is missing from the final edition. The copy has also been enriched separately with the following items, preserved in sheets: - a proof on Arches vellum of the composition of the first cover of the slipcase, - 6 of 20 japon nacré proofs of the same composition, justified and signed by Manessier, - 2 of 20 japon nacré proofs of the composition on the second plate of the slipcase, justified 9/20 and 11/20 and signed by the artist, - a test print of one of the book's pages, handwritten "trop foncé". Handwritten notes on the back. - 8 test prints of the cover colors, - a trial print "avant le dernier passage" of an original lithograph by Manessier, justified and signed by the artist, - the lithograph entitled L'eau et la pureté in 4 proofs justified and signed by Manessier, i.e. a trial proof numbered 4/6 and 3 decompositions each numbered 2/2. All these proofs are in folio format, and most are slightly larger than the book itself. Slightly damaged box, marginal tears to some leaves.