108 - DOBLER, Henri. *La Maison de rêve*. Illustrations and poem.

DOBLER, Henri. *La Maison de rêve*. Illustrations and poem. A rare poetic album in the Symbolist style, printed on colored sheets and adorned with 10 beautiful monochrome illustrations. Paris, on sale at “L’Artisan Moderne,” n.d. [1900]. Large folio, loose-leaf, light blue cover printed in blue, housed in the publisher’s cardboard slipcase with three fasteners, in pine-green half-percale and green paper covers with a repeating floral pattern printed in green. 12 printed leaves and 10 plates, all printed on laid paper in various shades and with different colored inks. Slight scuffing on the publisher’s slipcase; heavy foxing on the light blue cover (especially on the lower board); a few plates with frayed margins. First edition of this rare early collection containing 12 poems, illustrated with 10 monochrome compositions. Rooted in the Symbolist aesthetic, this album blends dreamlike poetry with evocative illustrations featuring nymphs, fantastical architecture, and mystical visions. Of particular note is the remarkable quality of the printing: with the exception of the first and last leaves, each poem forms a unique chromatic pairing with its inset illustration, the ink of the illustration subtly harmonizing with the specific shade of the laid paper chosen for the poem. Henri Dobler (1863–1941), a poet, painter, and collector of Swiss origin and a former officer in the French army, chose to devote himself to the arts beginning in 1895. He remained an integral part of Provençal cultural life: at his own expense, he restored the Pavillon de Vendôme in Aix-en-Provence, which he bequeathed to the municipality upon his death in 1941 so that it could be turned into a museum. A fine copy, enhanced by an autographed inscription on the publisher’s dust jacket.