Description

Handwritten sheets dated approximately 24 October 1922 and resulting from sleeping fit sessions. In these few pages we can see how the results of the sleeping fits, through poetic work, can be exploited in the form of works of art: some outlines of verses play with puns in the manner of Desnos, and a sentence on the "cervelle de Crevel" [Crevel’s brain] revives associations born during the very first sleeping fits. A note by Breton in the margin raises questions on the date of 24 October; it may be observed that the fiction - or hypothesis - that Desnos's ‘sleeping fits’ put him in communication with Marcel Duchamp-Rrose Sélavy had already been developed by that time, since his friends questioned him about it. It is striking to note how seriously the question is approached and, from the tone of the few sentences noted here, one gets the impression that the surrealists believe in this telepathic operation. The truth is undoubtedly simpler: the desire of Desnos to take centre-stage, taking pride of place - ahead of Éluard, for example - in the eyes of Breton who, as we know, had an unbounded admiration for Duchamp. Having gradually established himself as the group's sole dreamer, Desnos derived from this supposed contact with Duchamp, from this incarnation of Duchamp in himself, a prestige that would last for a few months, until Breton put an end to the experiments. "Desnos, because of the strongly narcissistic side of his character, very quickly wanted attention focused on himself alone...". And when it was decided to stop the experiments, he did not resign himself to this, and continued to visit Breton and to "fall into a sleeping fit" daily under his eyes. First period of hypnotic sleeping fits. 24 October 1922 - 4 pages in-4° handwritten in black pencil on Littérature letterheaded paper and inserted in a subscription form of the newspaper Le Soir folded in two and dated "24 October" by Breton. 1. - Louis Aragon: "The hollow eyes of M. E. [Max Ernst] value the caverns where statues play and where the maxims of his muse Ernestine are inscribed. At the gala of the stars this name is inscribed in astragalus: Gala." 2. - André Breton: "Simone in the silence provokes the clash of the spears of demons." 3. - Robert Desnos: "Marcel Duchamp, several thousand kilometres are not much for a sleep. What do you think of that? Did Rrose Sélavy deceive you if I dreamed about it? No, she didn't, so say what you think, Desnos, my dear friend." 4 - "Crevel's credulity. Crevel's brain is credulous."

Creation date	24-oct.-22
Date of publication	1922
Languages	French
Physical description	Ds et Ms - crayon noir
Library	Bibliothèque littéraire Jacques Doucet, Paris : BRT 161
Method of acquisition and collection	Bibliothèque littéraire Jacques Doucet, Paris, don Aube et Oona Elléouët
Reference	43000
Breton Auction, 2003	Lot 2026
Keywords	Dream, Automatic Writing
Categories	Manuscripts, Surrealists Manuscripts
Set	[Manuscripts] Sommeils
Permanent link	https://cms.andrebreton.fr/en/work/56600100113510