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Sleeping Fit Drawings of 29 October 1922

Drawing

Author

Author Robert Desnos
Notes by André Breton

Description

Two sleeping fit drawings dated 29 October (1922), by and about Robert Desnos.

Two drawings, which have the appearance of a puzzle without a solution, made during a ‘sleeping fit’ session dated 29 October (1922). In the first drawing, entitled ‘La vie du monde’ [The Life of the World], Desnos depicts stylised birds in the shape of a v, the final v also being the first letter of the word ‘vol’ [flight], flying above a kind of obelisk bearing improvised hieroglyphs. Also, the base of the obelisk has the dates 1922-1928, which may refer to Desnos’s possible death, predicted to take place in 1928. In the second drawing, marine motifs (a lighthouse, a boat) make up a calmer, less enigmatic scene - a drawing, but nothing more than that, as one might say. [Atelier André Breton website, 2005]

Sleeping fit drawings.

29 October 1922.

- two original black pencil drawings by Robert Desnos (24 x 32 cm), the first titled ‘La vie du monde’ and the second bearing a note in Breton's hand, on the verso, ‘Mort Zborowski’ [Death of Zborowski].

- Handwritten note by Breton: ‘Sunday, 29 October, Desnos, 1st sleeping fit.’

(Margins faded).

[Auction Catalogue, 2003]

Bibliography

- Robert Desnos, Dessins hypnotiques, édition établie et présentée par Carole Aurouet, Paris, Jean-Michel Place, 2015.

- Robert Desnos, Sommeils, édition de Christophe Langlois, Paris, Gallimard, Nrf, 2021.

Creation date29-oct.-22
Bibliographical material

Two original black pencil drawings by Robert Desnos (24 x 32 cm).

Date of publication 1922
LanguagesFrench
Physical descriptionDs - crayon noir
Reference49000
Breton Auction, 2003Lot 2029
Keywords,
CategoriesSurrealists Manuscripts, Graphics
Set[Manuscripts] dossier Robert Desnos, [Manuscripts] Sommeils
Permanent linkhttps://cms.andrebreton.fr/en/work/56600100453500