Arcana:

(PICASSO, PABLO). Picasso, Pablo & "Senor Don" Marcel Duhamel. Antibes, FRANCE: Privately Published by Marcel Duhamel, 1964. First English Language Edition 1/375. 16mo. Decorative Cloth + Wrappers. Artist's Book. Fine./No Jacket - As Issued. np (116pp) + one continuous leporello sheet, profusely illustrated in monochrome. Text in English. "The Pocket Picasso" is lovely undertaking that reproduces a small "pre-war, sixty-five centime" notebook illustrated by Pablo Picasso in 1957 and subsequently gifted to his Antibes neighbor, "Senor Don" Marcel Duhamel. In 1964, Duhamel privately self-published this facsimile in an edition limited to eight hundred and fifty total copies - including one hundred deluxe examples accompanied by an original etching. The 5 ¼ x 4 1/8" sketchbook in decorative cloth contains over one hundred playful, calligraphic renderings from the hand of the master in grey gouache. It is accompanied by a leporello booklet - half issued with English text, half with French - with Duhamel's jaunty assessments of the imagery and reminiscences of his friendship with the artist along with the publication details. The two are presented in a heavy paper envelope reproducing in facsimile Picasso's colorful holographic 1957 gift presentation to Duhamel. A bright, exceptionally well-preserved example of the exceedingly uncommon - only six copies are currently cited in OCLC WorldCat - English language version of the standard edition of this tiny gem (entry number one hundred and twenty-nine in Sebastian Goeppert, Herma Goeppert-Frank and Patrick Cramer's "Pablo Picasso: The Illustrated Books - Catalogue Raisonné") limited to three hundred and seventy-five NUMBERED copies showing a crack and separation along the seam of one of the sides of the publisher's wildly fragile - but completely intact - screenprinted clear plastic box. Inventory Number: 027465