Les Jockeys Camouflés. Trois Poèmes par Monsieur Pierre Reverdy. Agrementés de cinq dessins inédits de Monsieur Henri Matisse

Paris: La Belle Édition, 71, Rue des Saints-Pères, 1918. Limited Edition. Wrappers. First Edition, No. 221 of 300 copies on verge d'Arches, of Matisse's first illustrated book. Square royal 8vo (247 x 224mm): [50]pp, with five plates (one double-page) from early drawings by the French Fauve illustrating three poems by Reverdy. Original wrappers printed in blue and black, untrimmed. Wanting the unprinted glassine dust jacket. An excellent example of this rare survival (many copies were destroyed at the author's request), expertly respined to style, several leaves with archival repairs to margins only, lower right corner of front wrapper renewed, but bright and fresh, tightly bound and clean throughout. The Artist and the Book 195 ("notable for its imaginative use of color in typography [but see below] and for the only appearance of Matisse's early drawing style as book illustration.") Barr, Matisse, pp. 196, 560 ("sometimes considered Matisse's first illustrated book"). Editions Albert Skira, Anthologie du Livre Illustré par les Peintres et Sculpteurs 255. The first of two editions published in Paris, in 1918, with text printed in green, orange, blue, and black, a typographical caprice that infuriated Reverdy, who demanded that the publisher, François Bernouard, issue a second version, printed only in in black, which came out in a numbered edition of 105 copies with the imprint: Paul Birault (pour l'auteur). N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, carefully preserved in archival, removable mylar sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed. (Fine Editions Ltd is a member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association, and we subscribe to its codes of ethics.).