DELARUE-MARDUS, Lucie. RENEFER, illustrator. ~ La Cigale. Paris: Fayard, Le Livre de Demain, [1923].
4to (230 × 175 mm), pp. 126, [2]. 28 illustrations, plus a suite of 28 original numbered woodcuts on chine, initialled by the artist. Some foxing to extreme margins in text. Original yellow decorative wrappers and wrappers to the suite preserved, in contemporary marbled boards with orange morocco geometric onlays. �
First edition number 2 of 15 copies only with the woodcuts on chine, numbered and signed by the artist.
Fayard’s Livres de demain brought examples of the current revival in woodcut and wood engraving to a wide audience at a reasonable price. Accordingly, the illustrations of the regular volumes were printed in large numbers from phototype metal blocks made from the prints, with just 15 copies of each (as here) presented with an additional suite of the original woodcuts specially printed on fine paper.�