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Robert Desnos’ sleeping fit of 12 November 1922

First period of hypnotic sleeping fits

Manuscript

Author

Author Robert Desnos
Person cited Isidore Ducasse, dit comte de Lautréamont
Notes by André Breton

Description

Transcribed by Breton, this manuscript of a sleeping fit and drawings by Desnos apparently dates from 12 November 1922. "We bring you love and the divine pox", a fragment from Les Chants de Maldoror, which a note by Breton (undated) states was copied "31 [or 39?] years ago". Discovered by Aragon in 1918 in a volume of Les Chants published by Paul Fort, read in full in a copy lent by Adrienne Monnier, Lautréamont would, even more than Rimbaud, remain the ultimate poet for the surrealists. We are familiar with the legend of Breton copying the Poésies in the Bibliothèque nationale, in the only known copy of the original edition. However, this is only a fragment of the Chants, perhaps one of those that Breton communicated to Aragon and Fraenkel in his letters of 1919. It remained in draft form, and is followed here by a few small drawings obviously from a ‘sleeping fit’ of Desnos, the last sheet bearing the name of Ducasse. First period of hypnotic sleeping fits 12 November 1922: - 3 pages in-4° in black pencil of a text entitled: "Maldoror (Copy 35 years ago)" written by André Breton: "Ah! Ah! It smelled of pepper and it also smelled of those golden flies which respect love but which love does not respect, the erotic flies. Ah! Ah! Young man with black hair who knocks so late at the door of brothels, we bring you love and the divine pox." - 3 in-4° pages probably in Desnos' hand, two of which indicate "Ducasse" (Lautréamont). A note indicates: "12.11.22 probable date."
Creation date12-nov.-22
Date of publication 1922
LanguagesFrench
Physical descriptionMs et Ds - crayon noir
Library

Bibliothèque littéraire Jacques Doucet, Paris : BRT 161

Method of acquisition and collectionBibliothèque littéraire Jacques Doucet, Paris, don Aube et Oona Elléouët
Reference52000
Breton Auction, 2003Lot 2026
Keywords,
CategoriesManuscripts, Surrealists Manuscripts
Set[Manuscripts] Sommeils
Permanent linkhttps://cms.andrebreton.fr/en/work/56600100193530