H. de Balzac / Theo van Elsen - Le Chef-d'œuvre inconnu - 1957
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Balzac and Theo van Elsen present Le Chef-d'œuvre inconnu, a numbered illustrated edition in French, 73 pages, published in 1957 by Andrée Dérue in a softcover binding.
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Description from the seller
Charming illustrated and numbered edition of this work, which features three painters — Porbus, young Nicolas Poussin, and the old master Frenhofer — around a mysterious painting that the latter has been working on for ten years, claiming to have achieved absolute perfection.
Balzac explores the limits of art, the pursuit of the ideal, and the vertigo of the invisible, in dense and philosophical prose that questions the relationship between form and truth, between technique and inspiration.
The climax, where Frenhofer reveals his work—a canvas where only part of a female foot is discernible amid pictorial chaos—illustrates the tragedy of the creator overwhelmed by his own ideal and anticipates modern debates on abstraction and artistic subjectivity.
The enriched edition by van Elsen emphasizes this visionary dimension, making this short story a powerful meditation on the mystery of beauty and the solitude of genius.
H. de Balzac / Theo van Elsen - The Unknown Masterpiece - 1957 - Andrée Dérue - 73 pages
Very good condition of the binding, unbound sheets in a slipcase and publisher’s box, with light signs of use, smooth spine, white lettering.
Very good interior condition, illustrated work with 32 original lithographs by Elsen, limited to 175 copies, copy no. 54.
Delivery service guaranteed within a few days.
Charming illustrated and numbered edition of this work, which features three painters — Porbus, young Nicolas Poussin, and the old master Frenhofer — around a mysterious painting that the latter has been working on for ten years, claiming to have achieved absolute perfection.
Balzac explores the limits of art, the pursuit of the ideal, and the vertigo of the invisible, in dense and philosophical prose that questions the relationship between form and truth, between technique and inspiration.
The climax, where Frenhofer reveals his work—a canvas where only part of a female foot is discernible amid pictorial chaos—illustrates the tragedy of the creator overwhelmed by his own ideal and anticipates modern debates on abstraction and artistic subjectivity.
The enriched edition by van Elsen emphasizes this visionary dimension, making this short story a powerful meditation on the mystery of beauty and the solitude of genius.
H. de Balzac / Theo van Elsen - The Unknown Masterpiece - 1957 - Andrée Dérue - 73 pages
Very good condition of the binding, unbound sheets in a slipcase and publisher’s box, with light signs of use, smooth spine, white lettering.
Very good interior condition, illustrated work with 32 original lithographs by Elsen, limited to 175 copies, copy no. 54.
Delivery service guaranteed within a few days.
Details
Number of Books
1
Subject
History, Illustrated, Literature
Book Title
Le Chef-d'œuvre inconnu
Author/ Illustrator
H. de Balzac / Theo van Elsen
Condition
Fine
Publication year oldest item
1957
Height
33 cm
Edition
Illustrated Edition, Numbered edition
Width
25 cm
Language
French
Original language
Yes
Publisher
Andrée Dérue
Binding/ Material
Softback
Number of pages
73
