AUGIÉRAS (François)

Domme ou L'essai d'occupation. Montpellier, Fata Morgana, 1982. In-8, maroquin marron glacé, first word of the title arranged on three lines on the boards, the letters in large mosaic capitals of marbled skin standing out on a cream box cartouche and accompanied by small rectangles of snakeskin, smooth spine bearing the author's name in long palladium, beige nubuck lining and endpapers, edges gilded with white gold on witnesses, cover and spine, folder and slipcase (Alain Devauchelle 1999). Posthumous first edition. An account of the author's entrenched life, when, to escape civilization, he settled in a cave in the Dordogne. In his cave, Augiéras built fires, made music, sang, invoked divine forces between colorful fabrics and dried nettles, "the hashish of Europe". Fleeing humanity, he leaves his den only for the church, or the deserted meadows where he offers his bare skin to the sun. In a dual movement of return to a divine state and loss of identity, Domme reads like an eulogy of flight, a breviary of resistance. [...] Society and doctors thought Augiéras was crazy... (afterword by Jean Chalon for the reprint by Grasset). One of 50 copies on vellum pur fil Johannot. Delicate, perfectly executed letterpress binding: the hues of the binding are reminiscent of the colors used by prehistoric cave artists. Letter from Mount Athos (to Paul Placet). Béthune, Brandes, 1987. In-12, paperback, filled cover. First edition