Le Parfait criminel

Le Parfait criminel, 1971. Poems by Alain Jouffroy illustrated with a drawing and a lithograph by Alain Le Yaouanc.

The book takes the form of an octavo in loose sheets in folded wrappers. The edition comprises 560 copies: 60 copies on Arches paper, numbered 1 to 60, containing a signed and numbered original lithograph, and a cover made by Alain Le Yaouanc, cut out by hand by Solange Roussin-Castaldo. A few hors-commerce copies. 500 copies on laid paper (with the reproduction of a drawing by Alain Le Yaouanc on page 7).

Several variants of the first edition of this book exist: black, pale blue, blue, pink and white covers. An edition on Japan paper exists. A version printed on blue paper also exists.

Letterpress printing: Fata Morgana. Lithographic printing: Imprimerie Arte. Éditions Fata Morgana, Montpellier, October 1971.

Le Parfait criminel was written during the month of March 1971, exactly one hundred years after the Commune. The book is dedicated by Alain Jouffroy to the poet and art critic Bernard Noël:

to Bernard Noël,
“that is the whole art, is it not?”

Exhibitions

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Public sales

• 03/05/2007 – Paris, Artcurial, copy on Japan paper, unnumbered, Alain Jouffroy collection, lot no. 320.

Bibliography

• Le Yaouanc Aragon, Carmen Martinez et La Pierre d’Angle éditeur, Paris, 1979, lithograph ill. p. 30.
• Record no. FRBnF34699742 in the general catalogue of the BnF, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal.

Catalogue raisonné reference: L1971-0001