Rare Books
Cahiers d’Art presents a unique collection of rare books that witnesses the writing of art history for almost a century.
The “rare books” department is made up of several groups. The first is that of historical reviews, of all the issues of the Revue Cahiers d’Art from 1926 to 1960. The second, along with the edition of the reviews, is made up of the other publications of Cahiers d’Art. These are books that have forged the reputation of the Publishing House. One can quote Pablo Picasso. Works 1920- 1926 by Christian Zervos (1926), Kandinsky. Works 1906-1929 by Will Grohmann (1930), the first monograph on the artist, Man Ray. Photographs 1920-1934 (1934), containing one of the first reproductions of the famous White and Black photography, L’Air de l’eau, series of poems by André Breton, accompanied by four etchings by Alberto Giacometti (1934) , La Barre d’Appui, a four-handed book by Paul Éluard and Pablo Picasso (1936), The Open Book by Paul Eluard (1938-1942), bringing together the poet’s writings under the Occupation. The list is long. These rare books represent a significant part of the editorial activity of Cahiers d’Art, and have been the occasion for original creations where literature, poetry, the visual arts and printmaking techniques interact. The third set is made up of other rare books, not published by Cahiers d’Art, but directly concerning the artists or movements that the gallery has endeavored to defend throughout its history.