Georges Braque - Derrière le Miroir Nr. 4 - 1947

Georges Braque – Derrière le Miroir No. 4 – Original color lithograph – Galerie Maeght – First edition 1947

Georges Braque (1882–1963)
Derrière le Miroir, No. 4 – G. Braque
Galerie Maeght / Éditions Pierre à Feu, Paris
June 1947

Very early and collectible edition of Derrière le Miroir, published on the occasion of Georges Braque’s exhibition at Galerie Maeght in Paris in June 1947.

This is No. 4 of the legendary art publication Derrière le Miroir and thus one of the earliest issues of the entire series.

Original color lithograph by Georges Braque

Of particular note is the cover with an original color lithograph by Georges Braque.

The composition in black, ochre and olive green almost occupies the entire front page and is labeled at the bottom with “G. BRAQUE.”

Bibliographic and museum references explicitly identify the cover as an original color lithograph. The Toledo Museum of Art distinguishes in its copy between the original color lithograph of the cover and the reproduced works inside.

The original lithograph, together with the typographically designed header:

DERRIÈRE LE MIROIR – GALERIE MAEGHT – PIERRE À FEU – JUIN 1947

the complete original cover of the edition.

Contents

The edition comprises 8 pages and includes:

• 1 original color lithograph by Georges Braque on the cover
• 3 reproductions after Braque’s drawings
• 2 reproductions after Braque’s paintings

as well as literary and art-critical texts by René Char and Jacques Kober. This configuration is also confirmed by the auction catalog of Galerie Kornfeld.

Especially interesting are the reproduced drawings from Braque’s Cahiers, including the large-format depiction “Réalité.”

René Char and Jacques Kober

Included is a text by the prominent French poet René Char, who was closely connected with Braque.

Additionally comes Jacques Kober’s extensive contribution:

“The hand of the worker”

The text is dated December 1946 and describes Braque, his studio, and his conception of artistic creation.

Thus the magazine is not merely an exhibition catalog, but an immediate contemporary document about Braque and his artistic thinking.

Original exhibition catalog

Particularly interesting is the concluding page “CATALOGUE,” which lists the works presented at Galerie Maeght.

A total of 58 items are listed, including:

* 34 paintings
* engraved or sculpted plaster boards
* sculptures and bronzes
* copper and plaster works
* two lithographs

Thus the issue documents, directly, the historical Braque exhibition at Galerie Maeght in 1947.

Very early edition of Derrière le Miroir

Derrière le Miroir was founded by Maeght only in 1946. The present fascicle is No. 4 and thus belongs to the earliest phase of this later internationally renowned artists’ publication. Maeght’s chronological documentation confirms Braque as No. 4 in the series.

A trade reference cites an original edition of 1,500 copies for this issue and reports that unsold copies were later used for paper production for subsequent issues. I would not highlight this print-run figure as a confirmed publisher specification in the Catawiki description, since it currently rests on a dealer’s statement.

Bibliographic details

Artist: Georges Braque (1882–1963)
Title: Derrière le Miroir – G. Braque
Number: No. 4
Publisher: Galerie Maeght / Éditions Pierre à Feu
Place: Paris
Year: 1947
Month: June
Edition: First edition
Language: French
Extent: 8 pages
Format: approx. 38 × 28 cm
Original artwork: 1 original color lithograph by Georges Braque on the cover
Other illustrations: Reproductions after drawings and paintings
Texts: René Char and Jacques Kober
Binding: loose sheets, as issued

Condition

The present copy is in overall good to very good age-appropriate condition according to the photographs.

The cover with the original color lithograph is overall very appealing. The paper shows slight age-related discolorations or occasional small spots and signs of use. The pages show the typical creasing/storage marks of this large-format, loose-edged publication.

The inner pages appear clean and well preserved overall.

No restorative or cleaning interventions have been made.

The numerous photographs depict the actually offered copy and are expressly part of the condition description.

Collecting significance

Especially noteworthy:

Derrière le Miroir No. 4 – one of the earliest issues in the series
First edition, June 1947
Original color lithograph by Georges Braque on the cover
Galerie Maeght / Éditions Pierre à Feu
Texts by René Char and Jacques Kober
Original exhibition catalog with 58 items
Complete copy with 8 pages

An interesting early collectible for collectors of Georges Braque, Derrière le Miroir, Galerie Maeght, postwar French art, and original graphics.

Private sale

Private sale from my own private collection.

The description has been prepared to the best of knowledge and belief on the basis of the present copy, the information contained in it, and available bibliographic information. Despite careful examination, errors or deviations in bibliographic details, dating, printing techniques, attributions, or other descriptive information cannot be completely ruled out.

The condition assessment is subjective. The photographs are therefore expressly part of the description and decisive for the buyer’s own assessment. The copy shown in the photos is the only item offered and delivered.

As this is a private sale from a private collection, the sale is conducted within the legally permissible framework, excluding liability for material defects. This exclusion does not apply in cases of willful or gross negligence or in cases of injury to life, body, or health and does not affect mandatory statutory rights.