GAUTIER Théophile (1811-1872).

autograph manuscript, [Pierrot posthume, 1847]; 14 leaves of various sizes (i.e., 23 pages) mostly in-4 or in-fol. or in long strips, often written on both sides, mounted on tabs on sheets of strong wove paper with the printed text pasted on the opposite side; bound with portraits and documents in an in-fol. volume of tan half-chagrin with corners, title-piece on the spine (René Aussourd; binding a bit rubbed). First draft manuscript of this play in verse. Pierrot posthume, "harlequinade in one act and in verse", composed by Gautier on a plan by Paul Siraudin, was created at the Théâtre du Vaudeville on October 4, 1847, and published the same year by Beck et Tresse, then taken up again in the Théâtre de poche (1855), the Poésies nouvelles (1863, 1866) and the Théâtre (1872). The play was staged by Théophile Gautier and his children for a performance before friends on August 31, 1863; Puvis de Chavannes had painted the scenery. The manuscript is a first draft, abundantly crossed out and corrected, and often presents variants with the printed text, which is mounted opposite the autograph sheets. One can thus grasp the verses in the process of being born under the pen, and see them being transformed. Some pages show a clean version with new sketches in the margins. The manuscript consists of about 800 verses, variants, corrections and clean-ups (the published text has 580). The manuscript text of scenes II and IV is missing, and scenes I, III and V are incomplete. Scene X is the most elaborate and includes several reworked versions. Attached to the manuscript is a double autograph sheet which completes it, presenting sketches for Pierrot's tirade (scene IV) and for scenes V and XIII to XV. At the head of the manuscript, we have bound a printing proof ("unique proof" writes Maurice Dreyfous) of the letters and documents concerning the polemic raised by Siraudin claiming the presence of his name on the poster. Also bound are 11 engraved or lithographed portraits, including a few caricatures, of Gautier at various times in his life, after Célestin Nanteuil, Chassériau, Nadar, Mailly, Mouilleron or Liphart; and a photographic print (7.5 x 5 cm) of 9 small photographs taken during the 1863 performance for Théophile Gautier's birthday, who appears twice in the roles of the Doctor in the Pierrot posthume and Géronte in the Tricorne enchanté, as well as the other actors in costume. Provenance : Former collections of LUCIENGRAUX (VIII, n° 131, ex libris), and Jean-A. DUCOURNEAU (the manuscript was completed in 1975). Exhibition : Théophile Gautier (Bibliothèque Nationale, 1961, n° 84). Attached is the rare first edition: Théâtre du Vaudeville. Pierrot Posthume, Arlequinade en un acte et en vers. par MM. Paul Siraudin et Théophile Gauthier [sic]... (Paris, Beck, Tresse, 1847); large in-8, yellow covers preserved, half-percaline cardboard with garnet corners (Durvand). Former collection Daniel Sickles (II, 34).