(Corti) CHAR, René (PICASSO, Pablo): Le marteau... Lot 21

(Corti) CHAR, René (PICASSO, Pablo): Le marteau sans maître followed by Moulin premier. 1927-1935. Paris: Librairie José Corti, 1945. A paperback volume in-8°, under printed and filled covers. Untrimmed and largely uncut. Printed at 985 numbered copies of which only the first 25 contain a flying etching by Pablo PICASSO, with his signature at the justification. Ours, 1 of the 3 unreported ex-commerce copies, on Marais vellum, with the mention "Exemplaire imprimé pour Monsieur Dominique Corticchiato, le fils de José Corti", containing not one state of Picasso's flying etching but 4 states in all: in black, in blue, in red, in green (P.A. Benoit: n°18). Picasso who had appreciated very much the first edition of this text, published in 1934 with a drypoint by kandinsky, seized the opportunity, in the second edition, to realize an etching for this collection of strongly surrealist inspiration. This one presents a face where cubism and surrealism mix and complement each other perfectly. (Cramer; n°42). Some foxing mainly at the head of the cover. Small and pale freckles mainly on the first 4 and last 4 leaves. The etching in black is darker, the others show some foxing especially at the head. AN EXCEPTIONAL COPY.