The Cathedral

UNIQUE COPY of this collection compiled by the banker and collector Henri Bonnasse (1899-1984).

In addition to the illustrations from the Blaizot edition - 64 plates of the first state printed on Japan paper - the collection includes two colored pencil drawings mounted under a passe-partout and dedicated to the engraver and printer Alfred Porcabeuf (1867-1952):- The City of Chartres seen from Notre-Dame de Chartres (247 x 171 mm) annotated in pencil"to my friend Porcabeuf who, with me, loved both Huysmans and Chartres"in the lower margin.- The Cathedral. Suite of the 1st states by Charles Jouas (249 x 164 mm). Dated and signed«Chartres, 1907».

It also includes 2 proofs on Japan paper of Huysmans' portrait by Barlangue, one of the state before the letter, the second of the state with remarks. This portrait belongs to the edition of Sac au dos, published by Romagnol in 1913, as well as 2 proofs on Japan paper of one of the cathedral's tympanums annotated in pencil respectively: "1st inner board for the binding" and "2nd inner board for the binding".

Finally, plate 13 is in a double state.

Magnificent unique copy of this series of illustrations dedicated to Huysmans' La Cathédrale, the second volume of the "conversion trilogy".

While in 1882 Monsieur Folantin criticized the Church, whose dogmas he considered to be made only for slow minds, Huysmans finally immersed himself in religion, a wise choice, or at least the wiser of the two possibilities that Barbey d'Aurevilly designated as inevitable for the author ofÀ Rebours: "the muzzle of a pistol or the foot of the cross".