A charming collection of 12 children’s and popular French songs, entirely drawn and stenciled by Guy Arnoux, the last great French drawer of pictures.
ARNOUX, Guy. 12 Chansons tirées des Recueils Anciens par les soins d’un Amateur avec les principaux Couplets de l’époque et des Illustrations nouvelles de Mr Guy Arnoux Artiste à Paris. N.p.n.d. [Paris, Atelier Martine, towards 1915]. Oblong 4to with 1 beautifully handwritten title and 12 numbered printed double-pages folded and mounted on guards. Preserved in the editor’s stenciled wrappers, front cover illustrated with a view of a town by Guy Arnoux, flat spine, untrimmed. Spine a little darkened, a stamp is repeated on the first endleaf and on the back cover. Contemporary binding. 310 x 245 mm. A collection of 12 children’s and popular French songs entirely drawn by Guy Arnoux. Guy Arnoux (1886-1951) is a famous French artist and illustrator who made use of his artistic talents in various fields of decorative arts such as adverts, costumes, games, decors of ships, … and who took part after the First World War in charming little children’s books: Le bon Anglais, Carnet d’un permissionnaire, Nos frères d’Amérique… Between 1912 and 1925 he contributed to the famous fashion magazine La Gazette du bon ton. In 1945 he illustrated for Alsatia another children’s book Trois campagnes d’Alsace: 1674, 1793, 1944. His characteristic touch is unmistakable: a black ring and wide splashes, most of the time stenciled. He is probably the last great French drawer of pictures. The present collection, entirely drawn by Guy Arnoux – illustration, title, text and music- was edited by the workshop Martine created by Paul Poiret.
The table lists in bown ink the 12 songs presented in the album: La Complainte du Déserteur, Cadet Rousselle, Il était un petit Navire, Frère Jacques, En avant Fanfan la Tulipe, Il a des Bottes Bastien, Monsieur de la Palisse, Il était un petit homme tout habillé de gris, Bon voyage Monsieur Dumollet, Malborough s’en va-t-en Guerre, Le 31 du Mois d’Août, Grâce à la Mode. Each one of the 12 double-pages presents a song, with some tunes and some verses noted, and one full-page illustration facing the song, stenciled and inserted into a brown frame. A charming album illustrated with 12 stenciled plates, preserved in the editor’s coloured wrappers. Provenance: stamp of the Edition de l’Abeille d’or repeated on the endleaf and on the back cover
