Description

Handwritten fragments and drawings from Desnos' sleeping fits, dating from 1922. "Alarm and caprice where the winds die and all the currents maintained who surrender.” In these fragments by Desnos, something emerges that can unhesitatingly said to be poetic, if only because of the scansion that gives rhythm to the sentences. The figure of Marcel Duchamp, whose portrait and name appear at the end of this collection, suggests that of Rrose Sélavy, who is emerging and who will ‘dictate’ to Desnos some dazzling works that captivated Breton and his friends. For the time being, Duchamp still shares the limelight with Picabia, another tutelary figure of the group, whose portrait Desnos sketches in a style that is radically different from that of the rebus-landscapes that he deploys in the morts [the dead] drawings. First period of hypnotic sleeping fits. 5 pages in-8° in blue pencil. "Alarm and caprice where the winds and sea currents die and are lost... "At the two poles. These two poles which are Francis and Picabia... "Beardless memory takes my place in love.” Two small abstract drawings are titled "Marcel Duchamp" and "Picabia".

Creation date	1922
Date of publication	1922
Languages	French
Physical description	Ms [3] Ds [2] - crayon bleu
Library	Bibliothèque littéraire Jacques Doucet, Paris : BRT 161
Method of acquisition and collection	Bibliothèque littéraire Jacques Doucet, Paris, don Aube et Oona Elléouët
Reference	20000
Breton Auction, 2003	Lot 2026
Keywords	Graphic Arts, Work notes, Psychoanalysis, Dream, Automatic Writing
Categories	Manuscripts, Surrealists Manuscripts
Set	[Manuscripts] Sommeils
Permanent link	https://www.andrebreton.fr/en/work/56600100107510