GUITRY Sacha (1885-1957).

Fragment of manuscript for his work De MCDXXIX à MCMXLII, that is to say: From Joan of Arc to Philippe Pétain, that is to say: 500 years of the history of France, work conceived, composed and commented by Sacha Guitry... [1944]. Approximately 29 pp. in-folio Preparatory works used for the conception of his book De MCDXXIX à MCMXLII, that is to say: From Joan of Arc to Philippe Pétain, that is to say: 500 years of the history of France. This set includes a large number of drawings and manuscripts that belonged to Henri Jadoux [director of the publication]. We find, among others, the portrait of Debussy in graphite by Sacha Guitry, captioned on the back "drawing reproduced in the above-mentioned book". The drawings are grouped by artist, like the folder containing the pencil drawings of Demetrios Galanis, who made the headbands and tailpieces of the book. A gouache model of a plate and a wash portrait of Rabelais by Louis Bouquet; an original gouache and watercolor map by Lucien Boucher retracing the "Sacred Itinerary" of Joan of Arc; a gouache model of a binding and a pencil portrait of Balzac by Valentin Campion; 5 pencil drawings by Bernard Naudin. On a double page we find a copy of a letter from Corneille captioned by Guitry, whose facsimile is published in the book, then comes the first draft of the "Lettre ouverte à M. le ministre des beaux-arts" by Sacha Guitry. One of the folders includes an autograph poem by René Fauchois as well as a fable by Maurice Donnay, accompanied by a note explaining the change of title. This set testifies to the genesis of this extraordinary book, which was presented at a gala at the Opéra on June 23, 1944, and of which one copy was auctioned off for 400,000 francs to benefit the Union des Arts.