Pantagruel. Les Horribles et Espouvantables Faictz et Prouesses du Très Renommé Pantagruel, Roy des Dipsodes, Fils du Grand Géant Gargantua.

Paris.: Albert Skira., 1943.. Loose as issued in original publisher's wrappers with label to front cover, original parchment-backed chemise with label to spine and slipcase.. Folio. (348 x 284 mm).. Half-title with large woodcut frontispiece verso, printed title in burgundy and black with large colour woodcut vignette and dedicatory verse verso, Rabelais' prologue and text illustrated with 179 colour printed woodcuts, including frontispiece, initials and ornamental tail-pieces, by André Derain; the woodcuts were printed by Roger Lacourière. André Derain's superb woodcuts - the only colour illustrations he made for a book - for François Rabelais' 'Pantagruel'.From the edition limited to 275 numbered copies, with this one of 200 ordinary examples on vélin d'Arches signed by Derain.André Derain's only book illustrations printed in colour and an outstanding example of the unusual process of polychrome printing from single blocks. Roger Lacourière, usually an intaglio printer, was so intrigued by the proposed process for Derain's illustrations that he collaborated with Derain in their production. The printing took two years in the special studio that Lacourière had established. 'Commissioned by the publisher Albert Skira in 1941, Derain worked for 3 years to produce the illustrations, co-operating with Lacourière and developing a novel printing process whereby the wooden blocks were inked in several colours simultaneously rather than the usual method of a separate block for each colour.' (From Manet to Hockney).[From Manet to Hockney 111; The Artist and the Book 81; Logan 194]