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The Estates General

Manuscript

Author

Author André Breton

Description

Manuscript of the poem ‘Les États généraux’ (‘The Estates General’) written by André Breton from July to October 1943 and published in 1944 in the review VVV.

Published in 1944, the long poem ‘Les États généraux’ appears to be a moment of renewal for Breton; it is a sovereign voice that is heard, that of a man once again mastering the world and the word, orchestrating an ample and assured speech. The three fragments of the manuscript preserved in Breton's archives give an idea of the work involved in the development of this text. [Atelier André Breton website, 2005]

Autograph manuscript, October 1943.
- 4 pages in-4°, handwritten in black ink by Breton, titled and dated: "Les États généraux, October 1943.”
The first page (the title page) is decorated with a crest – with a cross, a fleur de lys, and a Phrygian cap – an original ink drawing by Breton.
"Say what is under the morning under the evening that I might at last have a topographical glimpse of those pockets outside the elements and kingdoms." 
Reproduced in Poèmes, Éditions Gallimard, 1948.
"Ah, here is the fall of wings already included in the release of the great commotion recently amongst the photographers, the black vault in all its horror.
All that remains is to draw a large quadrilateral figure on the ground.
It is though here that you enter or leave or enter or do not leave the dream.”

These last two words, printed in large capital letters, are obtained here by rubbing. [Sale Catalogue, 2003]

 

Bibliography

André Breton, « Les États généraux », VVV, n° 4, février 1944, p.

André Breton, Poèmes, Gallimard, 1948, p.

André Breton (Édition de Marguerite Bonnet avec la collaboration de Philippe Bernier, Marie-Claire Dumas, Étienne-Alain Hubert et José Pierre), « Les États généraux », in Œuvres complètes, tome III, Bibliothèque de la Pléiade, Paris, Gallimard, 1999, pp. 27, 29 et 34 et Notice p. 1151.
 

Creation date01-oct.-43
LanguagesFrench
Physical descriptionMs - encre noire et crayon noir et Ds
Library

Bibliothèque littéraire Jacques Doucet, Paris : BRT 94

Number of pages4 p.
Reference468000
Breton Auction, 2003Lot 2248
Keywords, , , , ,
CategoriesAndre Breton's Manuscripts
SetPoèmes, 1948, [AB's Manuscripts] Miscellaneous Manuscripts, [Journal] VVV
Permanent linkhttps://www.andrebreton.fr/en/work/56600100929850

See also

4 Works
 
False

[Je vous envoie...]

-
René Magritte

Lettre de René Magritte à André Breton, datée de Bruxelles le 28 août 1951.

Une image, une notice descriptive, un livre associé.

False

Poèmes

-
André Breton

Recueil anthologique des poèmes d'André Breton édités chez Gallimard après son retour à Paris en 1948.

Deux images, une notice descriptive, une bibliographie, un lien.

False

The Proofs for _Po emes_

-
André Breton

-

The proofs for Poèmes corrected in Breton's hand.

143 images, a descriptive note, a collection, a bibliography (to follow).

Poèmes, 1948

False

VVV, 4

-

Numéro 4, publié en février 1944, de cette revue surréaliste fondée par David Hare en 1942 à New York.

Aucune image, une notice descriptive, un lien.

[Journal] VVV