Rainer Maria Rilke — Mitsou Quarante Images

Erlenbach-Zurich; Leipzig, Rotapfel Verlag, 1921. First edition. Paperback. The scarce first edition of the first artistic work of Balthus, published when he was 13 years old, a lovely work showing forty of his lithographs. The first edition of this scarce work.Unrestored. Clean internally. Illustrated with forty lithographs.Collated, complete.'Mitsou' is the first published artistic work of Balthus, drawn by him when he was 11, and published when he was only 13.A charming comic style work, 'Mitsou' tells the story of a boy and his cat, lost and then eventually reunited. Alongside showing his early and lifelong fascinating with cats, 'Mitsou' foreshadows Balthus' artistic ambience of loss and disappearance. This publication was arranged by the eminent Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke, who wrote the preface. Rilke was the lover of Balthus' mother, and was so impressed by young Balthus' drawings then he arrange the publication. Balthus was a controversial modernist Polish-French painter. He was a reclusive man, his paintes showing narrative scences, often charged and disquieting in their imagery. His childhood was emerged in the art world, meeting many famous artists and writers, including Jean Cocteau, who used Balthus' family as inspiration for his novel 'Les Enfant Terribles&apos. In the original publisher's paper wraps over cards boards. Externally, the spine is worn and defective as usual. An unrestored copy. The front wrap has detached, backstrip is worn with some lifting and loss. Spots and discolouration to the wraps. Front hinge is starting, tail of the rear joint is starting. Small stamp to the recto to the front endpaper. Spots to the endpapers. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are bright and clean with the occasional spot. Good . Ill.: Baltusz; Balthus. Good .