Illustrated with 43 original etchings (16 full-page and hors-texte) by Aristide Maillol, many of which are quite erotic. From a total edition of 230 copies, this is ONE OF 35 ON JAPAN PAPER. Only the copies on Japan are signed with Maillol's monogram, as this copy is. (Note: the individual etchings are not signed in this or in any other known copy. I once saw a copy with poorly forged penciled monograms on each of the hors-texte etchings, though.) This copy furthermore contains another etching by Maillol, "Feuille d'etudes" (Guerin 379), never published and extremely rare (this particular etching is illustrated in a full-page plate in Vollard's autobiography). Although Maillol illustrated several books with lithographs and woodcuts, this is the only one he did with etchings and, in fact, it contains almost the entirety of his work in this medium. One of Vollard's last great books: the great publisher died before the book was completed. According to Strachan, one of Vollard's "finest masterpieces." (p. 36) Small quarto, loose in original wraps as issued. Fine. References: Skira 217 (illustrated), Erving 17 (illus.), Guerin 332-374, Johnson 190 (illus.), Rauch 143, Wheeler p. 106 (illus.), Vollard p. 68 (illus.), Jentsch 33 (illus.), Strachan 337, Carteret IV, p. 347: "La seule et belle illustration de l'artiste gravee a l'eau-forte; elle est tres recherchee et cotee, surtout sur japon." One of the great erotic illustrated books of the 20th century.
