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MAURICE DENIS — LA VIE DE FRÈRE GENIÈVREParis, Jacques Beltrand, 1923Copy XII of the 175-Copy Large-Paper Folio IssueExpressly Printed for Camille BeltrandThe Engraver\'s Own Nominative Copy33 Color Woodcuts after Maurice DenisOriginal Wrappers, Publisher\'s Portfolio and Slipcase
DENIS, Maurice. La Vie de Frère Genièvre. Translated from the Italian by André Pératé. Paris: Jacques Beltrand, 1923.
An exceptional association copy of one of Maurice Denis\'s most beautiful mature religious books.
This is copy XII of the deluxe large-paper folio issue limited to only 175 copies on Vélin d’Arches, expressly printed by name for:
M. CAMILLE BELTRAND
Camille Beltrand was not simply a subscriber or previous owner.
He was one of the three Beltrand brothers who engraved the color woodcuts for this book.
The illustrations after Maurice Denis were engraved by:
Jacques Beltrand
Camille Beltrand
Georges Beltrand
The printed justification therefore connects this individual copy directly to one of the craftsmen responsible for its creation.
This is the defining feature of the copy.
It is not merely a limited edition with an interesting provenance. It is the nominative copy produced for one of the men who transformed Maurice Denis\'s designs into the finished color woodcuts preserved in the book.
The Deluxe 175-Copy Issue
The 1923 publication appeared in more than one form.
The present copy belongs to the desirable large folio issue limited to 175 copies on Vélin d’Arches, with the complete series of 33 color compositions.
It should not be confused with the smaller, more widely distributed edition of 700 copies.
The present deluxe issue was produced in grand folio format and issued loose, as intended, in:
Original printed wrappers
Publisher\'s portfolio
Original slipcase
All are preserved here.
The book measures approximately:
36 × 27 cm
14.2 × 10.6 inches
The generous folio format gives the color woodcuts exceptional visual presence.
Maurice Denis and the Nabis
Maurice Denis was one of the founders and principal theorists of the Nabi movement and one of the central figures in the development of French Symbolist and decorative art.
Religious subjects occupied a major place throughout his career.
In La Vie de Frère Genièvre, the story of Brother Juniper—one of the early companions of Saint Francis of Assisi—gave Denis a subject especially suited to his mature style.
The illustrations combine:
Franciscan spirituality
Flattened color
Decorative simplification
Rhythmic figure composition
Modern sacred art
The result is a work in which text, color, devotion and modern design are unusually unified.
A Significant Maurice Denis Artistic Cycle
The imagery created for La Vie de Frère Genièvre had an artistic life beyond the book itself.
Nine illustrations connected with the project were exhibited at the Galerie Druet in Paris in 1924.
Original paintings from the series have subsequently appeared independently on the art market.
The book therefore preserves not merely routine commissioned decoration, but a significant cycle within Maurice Denis\'s mature religious work.
The Beltrand Workshop
The Beltrands were among the important French wood engravers and printers associated with the revival of the illustrated book in the early twentieth century.
Jacques, Camille and Georges Beltrand came from an established family of engravers and worked in the technically demanding field of color wood engraving.
For a color woodcut, separate blocks were prepared for different colors and printed in careful registration.
The engraver\'s role was therefore central to the final appearance of the image.
This makes copy XII especially compelling.
Camille Beltrand helped create the illustrations, and this copy was expressly printed for him.
The justification transforms the volume into a direct workshop association copy.
The Illustrations
The book contains 33 color compositions after Maurice Denis, engraved on wood by Jacques, Camille and Georges Beltrand.
The illustrations range from full-page compositions to integrated decorative elements.
Denis\'s characteristic palette and simplified forms are particularly effective in the Franciscan subject matter.
The large Vélin d’Arches sheets give the images space and luminosity, while the woodcut medium gives the colors a distinctive soft, layered quality.
André Pératé
The French text was translated from the Italian by André Pératé.
Pératé was an art historian, specialist in Italian culture and literature, and a major figure at the Musée de Versailles.
His scholarly and devotional interests made him particularly well suited to the Franciscan text.
His other work included writings on Italian art, Assisi and Saint Francis, as well as translations and collaborations involving Maurice Denis.
Original Publisher\'s State
The book remains loose as issued, preserving the form intended by the publisher.
Present are:
The complete text and illustrations
Original printed wrappers
Publisher\'s portfolio
Original slipcase
This is highly desirable for a deluxe French illustrated book.
Many comparable books were later rebound, separated, or broken for the individual prints.
The survival of the original wrappers, portfolio and slipcase preserves the integrity of the publication.
Copy XII — Printed for Camille Beltrand
The justification identifies this copy as:
XII
and states that it was printed for:
M. Camille Beltrand
Camille Beltrand was one of the named engravers of the book\'s color illustrations.
This gives the copy a direct and unusually coherent association with the production of the book itself.
Among the 175 copies of the deluxe issue, this is the copy connected by name to one of the craftsmen responsible for its creation.
Condition
Very good to near fine overall.
The internal sheets are bright, clean and well preserved.
The color woodcuts remain fresh and attractive, with strong color and excellent visual presence in the large folio format.
The original printed wrappers are retained.
The publisher\'s portfolio and slipcase are both present.
The portfolio and slipcase show light age-related rubbing and handling wear, with minor edge and corner wear consistent with age and use.
The slipcase remains structurally sound.
Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description.
Bibliographical and Collector Highlights
Maurice Denis illustrated book
Paris, Jacques Beltrand, 1923
Deluxe large-paper folio issue
One of only 175 copies on Vélin d’Arches
Copy XII
Expressly printed for Camille Beltrand
The nominative copy of one of the book\'s three engravers
33 color woodcuts after Maurice Denis
Engraved by Jacques, Camille and Georges Beltrand
Important Nabi and Symbolist artist
Major example of modern French religious art
Franciscan subject
Original printed wrappers
Original publisher\'s portfolio
Original slipcase
Loose as issued
Large folio format
Direct workshop and production association
A beautiful Maurice Denis livre d’artiste made exceptional by its provenance within the production of the book itself.
Copy XII was expressly printed for Camille Beltrand, one of the three engravers responsible for translating Denis\'s designs into the finished color woodcuts.
For collectors of Maurice Denis, the Nabis, French Symbolism, color wood engraving and the great illustrated books of the early twentieth century, this is a particularly distinctive example.
