Description

Manuscripts of the enquiry for André Breton's L'Art magique, dated 2 May 1955. Reserved for "people with a particular qualification", this questionnaire, preceded by a long introduction, dates from 1955. Alain Jouffroy reported in the journal Arts, on 27 July, that Breton had launched an "enquiry into magical art". As early as April, Breton mentioned this work, commissioned by the Club français du livre [French Book Club], in a letter to Pierre Molinier. This was a work that anguished him, and was hampered by "mysterious obstacles". The launch of the enquiry was therefore not only an intellectual but also a personal challenge: a way of sharing research that one man alone would find difficult to carry out. [Atelier André Breton website, 2005] Signed autograph manuscripts, 2 May 1955. - 3 pages in-12, autograph manuscript of the first draft, titled, dated and signed by André Breton, of an enquiry concerning magical art. - 6 pages in-12, manuscript of the final text of the survey for L'Art magique, signed by André Breton ,with erasures and corrections. "If the problem of the relationship of magic with religion, on the one hand, and with science, on the other, has been posed for a long time and if, for lack of a rigorous solution, it has at least lent itself to fruitful controversies, that of the relations of magic with art has, so to speak, not yet been tackled.” [Auction Catalogue, 2003]

Bibliography

André Breton (Édition publiée sous la direction d'Étienne-Alain Hubert avec la collaboration de Philippe Bernier et Marie-Claire Dumas), « L'Art magique », Œuvres complètes, tome IV, Écrits sur l'art et autres textes, Bibliothèque de la Pléiade, Paris, Gallimard, 2008, pages, 109-115.

Creation date	02/05/1955
Bibliographical material	3 pages in-12 - MS - blue and red ink 6 pages in - 12 - MS - blue and red ink - folio and annotations for printing.
Languages	French
Library	Bibliothèque littéraire Jacques Doucet, Paris : BRT 117
Number of pages	10 p.
Reference	609000
Breton Auction, 2003	Lot 2401
Keywords	Investigations et Questionnaires, The Magic Art, Work notes
Categories	Andre Breton's Manuscripts
Set	[Inquiries] L'Art magique
Permanent link	https://www.andrebreton.fr/en/work/56600100096400