Voltaire / Antoni Clavé⁠ - Candide - 1948

Title

Antoni Clavé – Voltaire: Candide ou l’Optimisme (1948) | Rare Artist’s Book with 46 Original Lithographs

Description

An exceptional example of the 20th-century French Livre d’Artiste (Artist’s Book), featuring Voltaire’s celebrated philosophical satire Candide ou l’Optimisme, illustrated throughout by the renowned Spanish-born artist Antoni Clavé (1913–2005).

Published in Paris by Chez Jean Porson in 1948, this remarkable edition represents a significant collaboration between classical French literature and post-war European graphic art. The work was issued in a strictly limited edition on fine Vélin de Rives paper.

This copy is numbered 136 from an edition of 250 copies and remains preserved in its original loose-leaf format (en feuilles), complete with the illustrated cover, chemise, and slipcase as originally issued.

The publication contains 46 original lithographs by Antoni Clavé. According to the colophon, all illustrations—including the designs for the cover and slipcase—were drawn directly on the lithographic stones by the artist. The text was printed by master typographer Raymond Jacquet in July 1947, while the lithographs were printed by Lucien Détruit in December 1948.

Antoni Clavé was one of the major figures of the School of Paris and maintained a close artistic relationship with Pablo Picasso after settling in France. Internationally recognized for his richly textured and expressive visual language, Clavé received the UNESCO Prize at the Venice Biennale in 1956 and the Bridgestone Museum Prize at the Tokyo International Print Biennale in 1957.

Many surviving copies of this edition have been dispersed over time, with individual lithographs separated and sold independently. The present example remains complete and intact, making it particularly desirable for collectors of modern art, illustrated books, and post-war European printmaking.

Author: Voltaire

Illustrator: Antoni Clavé (1913–2005)

Publisher: Chez Jean Porson, Paris

Year: 1948

Edition: No. 136 / 250 (Vélin de Rives paper)

Technique: 46 Original Lithographs

Language: French

Presentation: Loose-leaf (en feuilles) in original illustrated cover, chemise, and slipcase

Slipcase Dimensions: 34.0 × 26.0 × 5.0 cm

Condition

Very good vintage condition.

• Slipcase & Chemise: Minor handling marks and light age-related wear. Small split at the lower edge of the slipcase spine, consistent with age and typical for this type of original cardboard casing.

• Pages & Lithographs: The lithographs remain well-preserved with strong impressions and rich tonal contrast. No significant foxing, staining, or moisture damage observed. Minor creasing is present to the original glassine wrapper and several interleaving tissue sheets, which have helped protect the lithographs over time.

A complete and well-preserved example of one of Antoni Clavé’s most important illustrated book projects of the post-war period.

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