Robert Desnos / Pablo Picasso - Contrée - 1944

Robert Desnos – Contrée
Paris, Robert J. Godet, 1944
A rare and historically significant first edition of Contrée, published in Paris in 1944 and illustrated by Pablo Picasso, representing the only collaboration between the artist and the poet Robert Desnos. Conceived during the final years of the German occupation, the work carries a strong literary and historical charge, Desnos himself being an active member of the French Resistance before his arrest in 1944 and death in deportation the following year.
The volume is illustrated with one original etching (eau-forte) by Picasso, executed in December 1943 and used as the frontispiece, accompanied by 23 vignette reproductions within the text, progressively revealing fragments of the composition as the pages are turned. The etching depicts a seated female figure rendered in a structured and expressive cubist language characteristic of Picasso’s wartime work.
The edition was limited to 213 copies, of which 200 were printed on vélin pur fil Lafuma, each including the etching in black. The present example is one of these numbered copies (no. 152), printed on this fine Lafuma paper, here preserved with its natural warm ivory tone and retaining the characteristic Lafuma paper mark visible on the sheet, confirming the correct issue.
The book is offered uncut (non coupé), preserving the text block in its original state as issued, a desirable feature for collectors. The overall condition is very good. A small stain of approximately 0.5 cm is present at the lower corner, affecting the margin and slightly touching the plate area, yet without impacting the engraved composition itself or its visual readability. The etching remains clear, well-inked, and visually strong.
Referenced in the standard catalogues: Cramer 39; Bloch 362; Horodisch D18; Baer-Geiser III, 689. Format: approximately 28.7 × 19.4 cm.
Small issues with the cover
A refined and desirable example of one of the most important illustrated books of the wartime period, combining rarity, historical significance, and the presence of an original etching by Picasso.