253 - ROUVEYRE, André. *Le Gynécée*. A collection with a preface by Remy de Gourmont.

ROUVEYRE, André. *Le Gynécée*. A collection with a preface by Remy de Gourmont. Paris, Société du Mercure de France, 1909. In-4 (27.5 x 22 cm), beige half-shagreen with corner caps, spine with four raised bands decorated with gilt metal tools. Gilt fillet on the covers, gilt head. Binding signed H. Capelle. Cover and spine preserved. Vol. of 6 pp. and 76 plates. Slight scuffing on the caps and corners. First edition of these 76 full-page erotic drawings by André Rouveyre (1879–1962), preceded by an unpublished commentary by Rémy de Gourmont. “In order to preserve the original character of this work, Rouveyre completely destroyed his drawings, and all the text drawn and engraved on wood by P.E. Vibert was burned after the print run” (publisher). Illustrator and writer, friend of Matisse and Paul Léautaud, André Rouveyre (1879–1962) presents here sketches of nudes, accompanied by a text remarkably calligraphied by P.E. Vibert. Printed in an edition of 1,510 copies. This copy, one of 1,000 on imitation Japanese paper, bears the number 1,186. A very fine, untrimmed copy, enhanced by a handwritten letter dated June 11, 1919, from André Rouveyre to the writer and journalist Gaston de Pawlosky (1874–1933, best known for his science fiction novel *Voyage au pays de la quatrième dimension*, 1911) regarding, among other things, the last article published by Apollinaire (who died on November 9, 1918), another letter from the same author (probably to the same recipient) dated June 30, 1919, again concerning Apollinaire (1 p., in-8), and a handwritten text monogrammed A.R. (1 p., in-8)