232 - LABISSE (Félix). (Marchiennes, 1905 – Neuilly-sur-Seine, 1982).

LABISSE (Félix). (Marchiennes, 1905 – Neuilly-sur-Seine, 1982). French surrealist painter, as well as draftsman, illustrator, and theater set designer. Close to the literary and artistic circles of the avant-garde, he developed a unique pictorial universe populated by fantastical figures and enigmatic creatures. Autograph card signed “LABISSE,” bearing an amusing gastronomic maxim. No place, no date [1965]. 1 page, in-12 format, in black ink, on the back of an invitation card from the Montmorency Gallery in Paris. An amusing response by the Surrealist painter to a gastronomic questionnaire, in the form of a pithy maxim: “One must live to live and eat to eat. LABISSE.” The phrase, written in large characters in black ink and accompanied by an imposing, underlined signature, attests to Félix Labisse’s humor and deliberately provocative spirit. Subverting the usual clichés about the pleasures of the table, the painter offers a response as concise as it is absurd, in a spirit close to the Surrealist sensibility. The item also holds documentary value for the history of Parisian galleries. It is an invitation card to the exhibition of the 1965 Othon-Friesz Prize winners, held at the Montmorency Gallery, 85 Rue du Cherche-Midi, from May 18 to June 5, 1965. This exhibition brought together Jean-Louis Roiseux, winner of the Othon-Friesz Prize, as well as François Chenue, Gérard Gandin, and Monique Journod, who received honorable mentions. The presence of this invitation helps situate the document within the Parisian art scene of the mid-1960s, though it does not definitively establish the date on which Labisse wrote his maxim. A beautiful autograph piece, unique for its gastronomic subject matter and the particularly graphic nature of the handwriting and signature. Appears to be in good overall condition, with a few slight signs of handling.