September 04, 2009

Georges Hugnet, a released surrealist

Georges Hugnet (1906-1974) grew up in Buenos Aires where his father opened a branch of the family firm specialized in wood furniture. He moved to Paris in 1913. Man with many talents, Hugnet composed poems, wrote articles, made photo-montages, was also a publisher. In 1920, he became friend with Marcel Jouhandeau, his neighbour, who introduced him to Max Jacob. With financial support from his father, he founded the Editions de la Montagne, whose goal was to publish his own work and those of friends as Tristan Tzara, Gertrude Stein. He joined the Surrealist group in 1932 through Tzara who introduced him to André Breton. Hugnet left the movement in 1939. Breton reproached Hugnet for maintaining friendship with Paul Eluard, who distance himself with the leader of Surrealism because of their political disagreement during the Spanish Civil War. However, in occupied France, Georges Hugnet joined La Main à la plume, a group that maintained the surrealist publications while Breton went into exile in 1941. While officially out of the movement, Georges Hugnet never ceased to be a part of it.

Currently, the librairie Loliée offers :
  • Le Droit de Varech. Illustrés de 5 lithographies par Eugène Berman. Précédé par le Muet ou les Secrets de la vie. Paris, Editions de la Montagne, 1930, in-4, bound in full green calf by A. Lobstein. First edition. Limited to 502 copies. One of the first 10 copies on Japan paper, signed by the author and the illustrator, and with 5 original full-page lithographs by Eugène Berman. (only the 100 first copies include those lithographs).
  • Le Droit de Varech. Illustrés de 5 lithographies par Eugène Berman. Précédé par le Muet ou les Secrets de la vie. Paris, Éditions de la Montagne, 1930, in-4. First edition. Limited to 502 copies. One of the first 25 copies on Holland paper, signed by the author and the illustrator, and with 5 original full-page lithographs by Eugène Berman. (only the 100 first copies include those lithographs).
  • La Belle en dormant. Paris, Editions des Cahiers Libres, 1933, in-12. First edition. One of the 500 copies on vellum paper.
  • L'Apocalypse. Paris, G.L.M., collection "Habitude de la Poésie", 1937, in-16. First edition. One of the few copies on two-coloured glossy paper.
  • La Femme facile. Illustrations de Christine Boumeester et Henri Goetz. Paris, Jeanne Bucher, 1942, in-12 oblong, in leaves, illustrated cover. First edition with a frontispiece and 14 lithographs by Christine Boumeester and Henri Goetz and with the text reproduced in facsimile. Limited to 115 copies. One of the 5 copies reserved to the author, on "mûrier de Tonkin" paper, enhanced with a plate lithograph of Ch. Boumeester.
  • La Nappe du Catalan. 64 poèmes et 16 lithographies en couleurs. Paris, s.n.é., 1952, in-4, illustrated cover, folder and case. First edition of poems by Hugnet and Cocteau composed simultaneously on restaurant tablecloths. Illustrated with 16 lithographs by Cocteau, coloured by Hugnet. Limited to 113 copies, this one on Rives paper enhanced with an ink and wash drawing, and a dedication by Georges Hugnet to Valentine Hugo.
  • 1961. Illustré de quatre photo-montages. Paris, chez l’Auteur, 1961, in-8, in leaves, illustrated cover. First edition with 4 photo-montages by Georges Hugnet. Copie on vellum paper.