De Mémoire d'Homme.

Paris.: Bordas Editeur., 1950.. Original publisher's printed paper wrappers with flaps, artist's and author's names in black to front cover and publisher's and details to rear, additional vellum jacket with flaps and printed titles to front cover.. Small folio. (328 x 258 mm).. Half-title, printed title with original lithograph illumination, copyright verso and the 4 sections of Tzara's text in verse and prose illustrated with 8 full-page original lithographs in black by Picasso, 3 leaves with 'Table' and final leaf with justification and achevé d'imprimer verso; also included loose is the additional suite of all of the lithographs on Japon. The édition de tête of Tzara's collection with a suite of Picasso's finger-drawn lithographs on Japon and with the additional vellum jacket.From the edition limited to 350 copies, with this one of 30 on Hollande Van Gelder Zonen signed by the author and artist and with the additional suite of the plates on Japon Impérial paper; the 300 copies issued on Arches and the 20 hors commerce copies on Alfa Mousse were initialled by Tzara only.For Tzara's four-section collection (the sections are 'Le Temps Détruit', 'Le Déserteur', 'Le Boeuf sur la Langue' and 'Le Poids du Monde'), Picasso drew the illustrations directly and spontaneously on the lithographic stone with his finger. Although Tzara had been specific in what illustration he desired, the lithographs he produced for the book were ultimately Picasso's own. The illustration for the title does not feature printed text in the suite.'This great poem, which is in both verse and prose, and which is formed of four parts, was written by Tzara between 1946 and 1949. To some degree the poem represents the sum of the poet's experiences ... Although Picasso agreed to illustrate the poem, he kept putting off the work. He finally got around to it when Mourlot paid him a visit at Vallauris on April 16, 1950. This same day he made the cover for the second volume of Picasso Lithographe as well as the 9 lithographs for De Mémoire d'Homme, using a somewhat unusual procedure; he dipped his painting finger into the lithographic ink, and then drew flora and fauna designs, which are at once familiar and strange; he then marked their contours with lithographic chalk.' (Patrick Cramer).[Cramer 59; Berggruen 35].