Le ... Poème Secret à Madeleine, by Apollinaire.
Poestenkill, NY: Kaldewey Press, 2017. Kaldewey, Gunnar. Quarto. 16ff + 10ff. From an edition of forty-five, this is one of ten deluxe copies specially bound, and with an extra suite of the metal cuts. Apollinaire's erotic poem is illustrated with metal cuts after brush drawings by Gunnar Kaldewey, printed in red, blue, gray, green and orange. Typical of Kaldewey's work, the text is arranged freely on the page to complement the images. This rather loose typographical arrangement is fitting for Apollinaire, who is best-known for his "Calligrammes," or shaped poetry. The text is one of a group of poems Apollinaire wrote for Madeleine Pages, the woman with whom the poet was romantically involved in early 1915, when he was serving in the military during the First World War. The poem here mixes sensual imagery with the harsh reality of the battlefield. Apollinaire received a shrapnel wound to the temple from which he never fully recovered. A powerful, balanced work from Kaldewey. Bound by Thomas Zwang in red suede with ostrich spine and accent piece along the upper fore-edge. Very fine in chemise and slipcase. Item #31767
(Edition Kaldewey 16).
Price: $3,500.00