[JEAN DUBUFFET] Production and correspondence archives for an unreleased publication, Album de Gouaches

Typed letter, signed by Dubuffet accompanied by ca. 32 leaves of additional manuscript materials, typescripts, and hand annotated mimeograph correspondence and production notes from Sewell Sillman, Arnold Glimcher, and the office of Jean Dubuffet. Includes original documents and their French-English translations ; seven (7) silver gelatin photographic page proofs showing monochromatic gouaches by Dubuffet (images ca. 4 x 6 in. to 6 x 8 in. ; one printed on 11 x 14 in. photo paper) ; six (6) negative transparencies showing monochromatic gouaches by Dubuffet (ca. 8 x 10 in. each). Items housed in manila file folders marked "J. Dubuffet" and "Ives Sillman." Small folio. Very good with slight handling marks. [1235]

A fascinating set of materials documenting the apparently unresolved interchange between publisher Sewell Sillman, artist Jean Dubuffet, and his gallerists Pierre Matisse and Arnold Glimcher concerning the reproduction of 50 images from 1943-1974. The correspondence shows Dubuffet's meticulous notes concerning his preferences for the style of publication, from the size of the images to the scale of the page margins. Dubuffet also confronts his Glimcher's fears that the album of gouaches might be used by counterfeiters to dupe American audiences for his prints. The items constitute a rich and textured view of the cultural and technical challenges of art book production during the late 20th century. They also present the tantalizing view of a printed work that might have been, but never actually was produced.