[MALLARMÉ] VERLAINE, Paul (1844-1896)

[MALLARMÉ] VERLAINE, Paul (1844-1896)

Les Hommes d’Aujourd’hui
First edition [1885], n°296, 4 pp. in-4°
Librairie Vanier, n°244 – Paris 19 quai St Michel
Slight browning on margin otherwise fine condition

Very scarce proof copy of this legendary issue of Les Hommes d’aujourd’hui, depicting Mallarmé as a faun, a pan flute in his hands

The frontispiece of this famous copy was created by the artist Luque, who was also called upon for Rimbaud’s copy issue (no. 318). Verlaine, who a year earlier had consecrated his friend in his first edition of the Poètes maudits, was in charge of the prose for this issue, which he produced brilliantly.
If Luque’s drawing, depicting Mallarmé in the role of his character in L’Après-midi d’un faune may seem seductive, yet we do know that it will greatly displease Mallarmé upon being commercialized. The latter had initially been proposed the artist Estopey by Verlaine for the illustration of the issue, but the project did not come to light.