Description

Handwritten manuscript of the draft of a letter addressed to P.-G. Van Hecke by André Breton and Louis Aragon on June 14th, 1929.

Draft of a letter to the director of Variétés, the Belgian review which dedicates an issue to “Surrealism in 1929.” Yet this is not the subject in question. Breton informs Van Hecke that Malraux and Berl have requested an insertion to appear in the next issue, and Breton explains why. At the bottom, the article “To be continued” published at the head of the review, calls Malraux a crook and Berl a moron… Obviously these lines brought about a retort from Thirion. The draft of the letter which we have here will be co-signed by Aragon and represents an attempt to calm the crossfire. For more details on this affair, see the Pléiade vol. I, pag. 975, and in particular, note 5 (with cross-reference to 1740). [Atelier André Breton website, 2005]

Handwritten letter, undated [June 14th, 1929].
1 page in-12 handwritten by Breton with black ink on blue paper:

“Dear Sir,
We regret that we must, to the scruple of a common friend, communicate the letters of which MM. Malraux and Berl have asked to appear in the next issue of Variétés. We had to inform André Thirion of this matter, and he is appreciative.” (Numerous markings and corrections). [Auction catalogue, 2003]

Bibliography

- André Breton (Édition de Marguerite Bonnet avec la collaboration de Philippe Bernier, Étienne-Alain Hubert et José Pierre), « À suivre », Alentours III, Œuvres complètes, tome I, Bibliothèque de la Pléiade, Paris, Gallimard, 1988, p. 975 et Notes et variantes, p. 1733-1735 et p. 1740.

 

Creation date	14/06/1929
Bibliographical material	1 feuillet in-12
Languages	French
Number of pages	1 p.
Reference	221000
Breton Auction, 2003	Lot 2145
Keywords	Correspondence, Letter, Reviews and Journals, Surrealism
Categories	Letters from André Breton
Set	[Correspondance] Lettres à Van Hecke, [Journal] Variétés
Permanent link	https://www.andrebreton.fr/en/work/56600100915190

See also

Description

Lettre manuscrite d'Albert Valentin à André Breton, datée du 19 juin 1929 et comprenant une copie tapuscrite de correspondance.

Dossier Berl et Malraux, suite : après les insultes à leur endroit publiées dans l'article de tête de la livraison « spécial surréalisme en 1929 » de la revue belge Variétés, les deux écrivains répliquent par des demandes d'insertion adressées au directeur de la revue belge, Van Hecke. Albert Valentin, ami de Breton et Thirion, leur communique discrètement les lettres, et ils pourront répondre à ces réponses... l'ensemble (quatre lettres en tout) étant publié dans la livraison du 15 août 1929.

Lettre autographe et tapuscrit, 19 juin 1929.
- 1 page 1/4 in-4° manuscrites à l'encre noire de Albert Valentin d'une lettre à André Breton relative à l'Affaire Malraux, Berl et Thirion que Thirion leur consacre, du 19 juin 1929.
- 1 page in-4° tapuscrite reproduisant 2 lettres adressées au directeur de la revue Variétés, M. Van Hecke, et signées André Malraux et Emmanuel Berl. Albert Valentin remercie également Breton de l'avoir défendu, ainsi qu'Aragon, dans le procès qu'on lui a intenté pour avoir publié dans un numéro de Variétés un fragment de « Au soleil de minuit ». [catalogue de la vente, 2003]

 

Creation date	19/06/1929
Destination address	André Breton 42, rue Fontaine Paris IXe
Bibliographical material	1 page 1/4 in-4° Ms - encre noire 1 page in-4° - Ts - encre noire
Languages	French
Place of origin	Albert Valentin 48, rue Léonard de Vinci Bruxelles
Reference	223000
Breton Auction, 2003	Lot 2145
Keywords	Correspondence, Letter, Reviews and Journals
Categories	Letters to André Breton
Set	[Journal] Variétés
Permanent link	https://www.andrebreton.fr/en/work/56600100831490

See also

Description

Letter by Albert Valentin to André Breton, or fragment of a letter from June 19th, 1929, together with a typescript in red ink dated October 1928.

Aragon and Breton were in solidarity with their Belgian friend, Albert Valentin, who had offered his help to the French group, and who now asks for it in return. It should be noted that even though this declaration signed by Aragon, Péret, Breton, Desnos, Éluard and Unik speaks less of Valentin's case than one would surmise, it should be taken seriously. Here, a discussion takes place pertaining to the rhetorical form of Ethos – in other words, when orators speak about orators, the surrealists speak about Surrealism. The art of public declaration, which also appears in numerous pamphlets written by the group, was developed in the Dada years and will remain till World War II as one of the highlights of surrealist activity. [Atelier André Breton website, 2005]

Handwritten Letter, signed [June 19th, 1929].
- 1 page 1/4 in-4° handwritten letter in black ink by Albert Valentin to André Breton, in which Valentin thanks Breton and Aragon for taking his side in the lawsuit brought against him for having published a fragment of "To the Sun of Midnight" ("Au soleil de minuit") in an issue of Variétés.

- 1 typed in-4° [Auction catalogue, 2003]

Creation date	sd [19 juin 1929]
Destination address	André Breton 42, rue Fontaine Paris IXe
Languages	French
Place of origin	Albert Valentin 48, rue Léonard de Vinci Bruxelles
Reference	224000
Breton Auction, 2003	Lot 2145
Keywords	Aragon case, Association of Revolutionary Artists and Writers
Set	[Archives] dossier A.A.E.R./A.E.A.R, [Journal] Variétés
Permanent link	https://www.andrebreton.fr/en/work/56600100491390

See also

Description

Handwritten letter by André Thirion to André Breton, dated June 24th, 1929.

The end of a relationship (at the end of the letter) and controversy; in this letter from Thirion to Breton, dated June 24th, 1929, is enclosed the copy of a letter to the Director of Variétés, responding to Malraux and Berl’s responses. While Breton and Aragon will say they refuse to be involved in a controversy with people who are not invited to participate in the debate, Thirion seeks here to give his opponents the runaround by taking up their arguments and ridiculing them. These letters will be published together in the August 15th issue of the Belgian review. [Atelier André Breton website, 2005]

Handwritten letter, June 24th, 1929.
- 1 page in-4° letter handwritten in black ink, signed and dated by Thirion to Breton about critical articles on André Malraux and Emmanuel Berl published in the issue of the Belgian review Variétés “Surrealism in 1929.”

“Mr. Berl, the famous pamphleteer, and Mr. Malraux, the well-known Chinese revolutionary.” [Auction catalogue, 2003]

Creation date	24/06/1929
Destination address	André Breton 42, rue Fontaine Paris IXe
Bibliographical material	1 feuillet in-4°
Languages	French
Place of origin	Ateliers de Masson, Miro, Malkine, Desnos, Thirion 45, rue Blomet Paris XVe
Number of pages	1 p.
Reference	222000
Breton Auction, 2003	Lot 2145
Keywords	Correspondence, Letter, Reviews and Journals
Categories	Letters to André Breton
Set	[Correspondance] Lettres d'André Thirion, [Journal] Variétés
Permanent link	https://www.andrebreton.fr/en/work/56600100854580

See also