QUELQUES ÉCRITS ET QUELQUES DESSINS

First edition. One of ten copies 'hors commerce'. Signed by the artist. Publisher's original white paper covers printed in black and purple. Illustrated with five drawings by René Magritte. Errata slip tipped in at the rear. An excellent better than very good copy, the binding square and firm with some rubbing and mild toning to the extremities. The contents are clean throughout. Paul Nougé (1895-1967) was a Belgian poet and intellectual theorist. He and René Magritte were the most important figures in the Brussels group of Belgian Surrealists. A superb association copy.

Issued in a total edition of 110 copies, 100 of which were available for sale, and 10 'hors commerce' were for presentation by the poet and artist. This example, marked 'h.c.' is inscribed in black ink on the front endpaper "à Monsieur P. G. Van Hecke / avec ma sympathie / Magritte / le 25 Novembre 1927". The recipient Paul-Gustave van Hecke was a leading figure on the Belgian art scene. Together with his wife Honorine Deschryver, he co-founded the Modernism inspired couture house 'Norine' where they employed artists such as Max Ernst, Frits Van den Berghe, Geo Navez, E. L. T. Mesens, and René Magritte. With the proceeds from the fashion house van Hecke threw himself into the art world opening the galleries 'Sélection' and 'L'Epoque' and publishing contemporary art journals such as 'Variétés' primarily promoting the work of Flemish Expressionists and Surrealists. René Magritte's oil painting of his patron, 'Portrait de P.-G. Van Hecke' was completed in 1928 and remained in the Van Heck family collection until the 1970s.