Drouot unveils a long-lost portrait of Arthur Rimbaud by Paul Verlaine

A Treasure Hidden for 130 Years
Previously held in prestigious collections before joining Hugues Gall’s, this drawing remained out of public view for over 130 years and has never been exhibited since its creation. Its emergence on the art market is not only a major rediscovery but also an emotional event for admirers of Rimbaud’s work.
This portrait is one of the most iconic images of Arthur Rimbaud: the very same chosen by Verlaine as the frontispiece for Rimbaud’s Complete Poems, published by Léon Vanier in 1895. Sketched “from memory” by Verlaine, it shows Rimbaud with his hands in his pockets, wearing a hat and smoking a pipe—evoking the quintessential image of the wanderer, a stance often associated with the poet. The date of the drawing, June 1872, is particularly significant as it marks a turning point in the literary life of this “poet with soles of wind.”

A Pivotal Moment in the Life of the Poet with “Soles of Wind”
In late September 1871, after several journeys to Paris, Rimbaud met Verlaine, who introduced him to literary circles. By this time, Rimbaud’s precocious genius had already been widely recognised by his peers, and his early poems had paved the way for his arrival in the capital. His presence was both captivating and unsettling: Rimbaud, still a teenager, adopted a deliberately provocative attitude.

This drawing, despite its apparent simplicity, reflects a tumultuous period in his life, preceding by just a month the famous journey of Verlaine and Rimbaud to Belgium and London, where their legendary liaison would take shape. It was a time when Rimbaud, driven to the brink of physical and mental exhaustion, pursued his ambition to become a “seer.”

A Drawing of Exceptional Rarity
Drawings from this period are of extraordinary rarity and are essential to understanding the brief but intense literary career of Arthur Rimbaud. They play a key role in shaping the enduring myth surrounding his life.
Only a handful of drawings and iconographic documents depicting Rimbaud are known to exist. The rediscovery of this iconic portrait, with impeccable provenance, is therefore a landmark event. It offers the chance to reclaim a work long thought lost, previously known only through reproductions.
Although this sketch may have been made after 1872, possibly during the publication of Rimbaud’s Complete Poems by Léon Vanier, its significance endures. Verlaine, just a year before his death in January 1896, chose this image of Rimbaud, solidifying a timeless vision of the poet that continues to resonate.
The sale, taking place on 2 December at Drouot, offers a rare and remarkable opportunity to acquire this masterwork of Rimbaldian iconography—an exceptional and inestimable treasure.