FRANCE (Anatole) - Lot 99

FRANCE (Anatole) L'Orme du Mail. - The Wicker Mannequin. - The Amethyst Ring. - Monsieur Bergeret à Paris. Paris: Calmann-Lévy, 1923-1925. - 4 works in 4 in-8 volumes, lemon morocco, PP figure in black in the center of the second plate, smooth spine, framed in lemon morocco inside, decorated with a black fillet, silver brocaded silk lining and endpapers, double endpapers, gilt head, untrimmed, cover and spine preserved (S. Saintu). New edition of these 4 titles by Anatole France. Precious single copies, all printed on Marais vellum, enriched with numerous original drawings by designer and poster artist Georges HAUTOT (1887-1963). Born in 1887, Georges Hautot, a well-known illustrator, settled in La Ferté-Alais after his marriage to Germaine Fougère. Although he had little technical training, he was quickly appreciated for his talent, combining observation, fantasy, humor and finesse. His work includes numerous collaborations with magazines such as La Baïonnette, Fantasio, Le Matin and Le Canard enchaîné. During the First World War, he denounced the horror of the conflict through expressive drawings, notably in his "Caricature de guerre" series of 1915. He did not remain inactive during the Second World War, drawing a caricature of Hitler in 1939, demonstrating his commitment to opposing Nazi barbarism. As the son of Jules Hyacinthe Hautot, he worked in the post office before devoting himself fully to painting, observational drawing and the illustration of popular and rural scenes, often imbued with humor and social criticism. His style, energetic and subtle, bears witness to his critical eye on the society of his time. The drawings in this series were produced for and at the request of the famous fashion designer and collector Paul Poiret (1879-1944), as attested by an autograph letter signed by the artist and placed at the head of L'Orme du mail. The one-page in-4 letter is dated La Ferté Alais, January 22, 1927. Ailing, Hautot informs Paul Poiret that "L'Orme du mail is finished and the others are sketched". The artist has drawn himself in bed, ill, held by the shoulders by death. At the foot of the bed is a paint palette and the work L'Orme du Mail. There are a total of 423 drawings in watercolor and colored pencil, 143 in L'Orme du Mail (completed in January 1927), 105 in Le Mannequin d'osier, 83 in L'Anneau d'Améthyste (completed in April 1927) and 92 in Monsieur Bergeret à Paris (completed in May 1927). The artist also signed each title, as well as the last page, on which he inscribed the date on which he completed the drawings, with the exception of the second book. Exemplaires en reliures de Simone Saintu, portant sur le second plat le chiffre de Paul Poiret. She bound several books for Poiret. She was a close friend of Louis-Ferdinand Céline, with whom she maintained a correspondence. Some browning and several spotting to bindings. Provenance: Paul Poiret.