65 - BENOIT (Pierre) and DUFOUR (Émilien). *Axelle*. Illustrated with eight etchings and drawings by Émilien Dufour.

BENOIT (Pierre) and DUFOUR (Émilien). *Axelle*. Illustrated with eight etchings and drawings by Émilien Dufour. A rare, unique copy, enriched with 59 original sketches and watercolors by the French painter and illustrator Émilien Dufour (1894–1975), in a beautiful binding signed by René Kieffer. Paris, Librairie de la revue française, Alexis Redier, n.d. [1930]. In-12 (150x200 mm), orange imitation snakeskin, front cover adorned with a plaque of gilded vertical and rounded bands, smooth spine, gilded head on endpapers, untrimmed, cover and spine preserved (René Kieffer). 349 pages, 8 etchings and drawings by Émilien Dufour. Slight scuffing on the spine, head, and corners. Slight foxing on the edges and in the margins, without affecting the text or the plates. A novel published in the “Le Paon Blanc” collection, illustrated with 8 etchings and drawings by Émilien Dufour, in which Pierre Benoit tells the story of a French soldier held prisoner in a reprisal camp in northern Prussia during the Great War. Limited edition of 1,125 copies; this is one of 25 contributor’s copies, not for sale (no. 19) A unique copy enriched with 59 original sketches and watercolors by the French painter and illustrator Émilien Dufour (1894–1975). Created in ink, colored pencil, watercolor, and graphite, these works serve as sketches and studies for the book’s final illustrations. Some are signed “E.D.” or “E. Dufour” by the artist. Executed on various types of paper, most of the drawings are folded to the book’s size, while some are mounted on tabs. A rare copy, richly enhanced with original works by Émilien Dufour (1894–1975), who illustrated numerous masterpieces from the last two centuries.