Montherlant, Henry de

A finely bound and illustrated copy of La Reine Morte.

• Henry de Montherlant (French, 1895-1972).
• Illustrated by V. Stuyvaert.
• Bound by Jacques Blanchet.
• Paris: Aux depens d'un groupe de bibliophiles, 1944.
• Large quarto.
• Limited to 337 copies, 300 numbered copies on Velin de Lana, this being copy #260.
• Bound in full deep purple morocco, title and author gilt to spine, front cover with muli-color morocco onlays depicting the queen in front of a fireplace and mirror, 22 karat gold leather doublures with red and yellow morocco triangle inlays, cloth brocade endpapers, top edge goffered tinted yellow with gilt crowns, others uncut as issued, housed in a matching morocco edged red suede open-ended slipcase, slipcase lined with purple felt.

Tipped to one of the front endpapers is an explanation in French of the binding by Blanchet, here translated in English: “The purplish color of this morocco leather expresses that there is drama in Portugal. The mosaic represents the Queen in a gesture of worry singing that she is being spied on. The leather guards, through their shapes and colors, demonstrate the main outcomes of this story. Passion for red triangles and complicity for yellow ones. Adjusted to the gold leather (22 karats), the whole reveals the intriguing life of these royal characters. Silks complete the adornment of the palaces of yesteryear.”

Jacques Blanchet was born in 1915. It is not clear with whom he studied in Montreal, but in 1948 he received a grant from the Quebec government to study bookbinding in France and Italy. He spent a year abroad. Upon his return, a traveling exhibition throughout Canada was organized. His bindings are picturesque as was the taste in the 1940s and '50s. He wrote a small book titled Essaie sur la Reliure et les Relieurs au XXeS.