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Lot 140: DESNOS (Robert).

Est: €3,000 EUR - €4,000 EURSold:
Pierre Bergé & AssociésParis, FranceJune 18, 2021

Item Overview

Description

DESNOS (Robert).
The Sperm Drinkers' Club. No place or date [ca. 1924-1927].
Autograph manuscript fragment of 10 pages 1/3 in-8 square on school notebook leaves, bound in raspberry percaline à la Bradel (G. Gauché).
Important first draft autograph manuscript of an early version of La Liberté ou l'Amour! Unfinished, it is entirely unpublished and shows only rare erasures.
The setting, the characters and the themes evoked refer to the 7th chapter of Liberty or Love. The main character has a slightly different name -
Corsaire Topaze versus Corsaire Sanglot in the final version. Likewise, Desnos already calls upon the prophetic figure of Bébé Cadum, "an admirable harbinger of a new redemption despite the somewhat crude symbol of clean skin."
The main part of the unbridled erotic story is about Corsair Topaz's visit to the phantasmagorical Sperm Drinkers' Club: "Take your place among us! We have found (you and us) the serious tone that suits love.
You have served it under all earthly appearances knowing well that it is unique and that its human cult must bend without hesitation to all our fantasies without risk of expectations to this essential presence. Pederast in this town, pimp in the next, willing dupe in the third, onanist here, chaste elsewhere, sadist or masochist, worshipper of chastity belts, mules or rods, or of a certain part of the body, all your tribulations were powerless to make you take appearance for reality [...] In a few moments, you will be brought the bohemian cup and you will choose from six bottles the liquid which suits your taste. To supply our reserves, dearly paid women scrutinize the most beautiful boys on earth.
The sperm of each of them, carefully collected in these little thirteen-sided bottles that the valet brings you, is brought to you with the dawn [...]. Some consume it fresh, others prefer it several days or months or even years old. You will be able to taste it from 1884, from the year 1914, a year of war when it flowed through the white fingers of our grape-pickers. Then, the infernal and bloody mixture of nations inspiring us, we undertook the most curious ethnographic collection ever, from the slimy Eskimos to the Breton of France, from the Coromandel Hindus to the Negroes of Libria and the Americans of San Francisco. Taste! There is no great difference in its flavor. You look for a long time for the one who will satisfy you before death has in a supreme jump flooded your fingers with the last seed, sign that the pathetic minute has just passed and leaving you with the regret of having lived believing a change possible in your essence.
Superb surrealist manuscript, close to automatic writing; it testifies to the great facility of Robert Desnos.
Two other first draft manuscripts are known for La Liberté ou l'Amour! one of which dated 13 December 1924 appeared in the sale of Bernard Loliée (Sale R. and B. L., 2016, No. 211).
They turn out to be much closer to the final version. The writing of La Liberté ou l'Amour ! closely follows Deuil pour Deuil (published in 1924), but the work was not published until 1927.
This manuscript of the Club des Buveurs de spermes appeared in the Nicaise catalogue Cubisme,
Futurisme, Dada, Surréalisme (1960, no. 427).
Le Club des buveurs de spermes. Sans lieu ni date [vers 1924-1927].
Fragment manuscrit autographe de 10 pages 1/3 in-8 carré sur feuillets de cahier d'écolier, reliées en percaline framboise à la Bradel (G. Gauché).
Important manuscrit autographe de premier jet d'une version primitive de La Liberté ou l'Amour ! Inachevé, il est entièrement inédit et ne présente que de rares ratures.
Le décor, les personnages et les thèmes évoqués renvoient au 7e chapitre de la Liberté ou l'Amour. Le personnage principal porte un nom légèrement différent -
Corsaire Topaze contre Corsaire Sanglot dans la version finale. De même, Desnos fait déjà appel à la figure prophétique de Bébé Cadum, "annonciateur admirable d'une nouvelle rédemption malgré le symbole un peu grossier de l'épiderme propre".
L'essentiel du récit d'un érotisme débridé, a pour objet la visite de Corsaire Topaze au fantasmagorique Club des Buveurs de spermes : "Prenez place parmi nous ! Nous avons retrouvé (vous et nous) le ton grave qui convient à l'amour.
Vous l'avez servi sous toutes les apparences terrestres sachant bien qu' il est unique et que son culte humain doit se plier sans hésitation à toutes nos fantaisies sans risque d'attentes à cette sa présence essentielle. Pédéraste dans cette ville, maquereau dans l'autre, dupe volontaire dans la troisième, onaniste ici, chaste ailleurs, sadique ou masochiste, adorateur de ceinture de chasteté, de mules ou de verges, ou d'une partie déterminée du corps, toutes vos tribulations furent impuissante à vous faire prendre l'apparence pour la réalité [...] On vous portera dans quelques instants la coupe de bohême et vous choisirez dans six flacons le liquide qui convient à votre goût. Pour alimenter nos réserves des femmes chèrement payées scrutent les plus beaux garçons de la terre.
Le sperme de chacun d'eux soigneusement recueilli dans ces petits flacons à treize facettes que vous apporte justement le valet vous est apporté avec l'aube [...]. Les uns le consomme[nt] frais, les autres le préfèrent vieux de plusieurs jours ou de plusieurs mois voire de plusieurs années. Vous pourrez en déguster de l'an 1884, de l'an 1914 année de guerre où il coulait à flot à travers les doigts blancs de nos vendangeuses. Puis, le mélange infernal et sanglant des nations nous inspirant nous entreprîmes la plus curieuse collection ethnographique qui soit, des esquimaux visqueux aux bretons de France, des hindous Coromandel aux nègres de Libria et aux américains de San Francisco. Goutez ! il n'y a pas grande différence dans sa saveur. Vous recherchez longtemps celui qui vous satisfaira avant que la mort ne vous ai dans un sursaut suprême inondé les doigts de la semence dernière signe que la minute pathétique vient de s' écouler et en vous laissant le regret d'avoir vécu en croyant un changement possible en votre essence".
Superbe manuscrit surréaliste, proche de l'écriture automatique ; il témoigne de la grande facilité de Robert Desnos.
On connaît deux autres manuscrits de premier jet pour La Liberté ou l'Amour ! dont l'un daté du 13 décembre 1924 a figuré dans la vente de Bernard Loliée (Vente R. et B. L., 2016, n° 211).
Ils s'avèrent bien plus proches de la version finale. L'écriture de La Liberté ou l'Amour ! suit de près Deuil pour Deuil (paru en 1924), mais l'ouvrage ne fut publié qu'en 1927.
Ce manuscrit du Club des Buveurs de spermes a figuré dans le catalogue Nicaise Cubisme,
Futurisme, Dada, Surréalisme (1960, n° 427).

Artist or Maker

Payment & Shipping

Payment

Accepted forms of payment: MasterCard, Other, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

From the moment the hammer falls, sold items will be in the exclusive responsability of the buyer. Transportation and storage will be invalided to the buyer. The buyer will be solely responsible for insurance, and Pierre Bergé & associés assumes no liability for any damage items may incur from the time the hammer falls. All formality procedures, including those concerning exportation as well as transport fall exclusively to the buyer.
- Sales at Richelieu - Drouot : Furniture, paintings and other voluminous objects which have not been retrieved by the buyer on the day following the sales, before 10 am, will be stored in the 3rd basement of the Hotel Drouot where they can be collected at the following hours : 1pm - 5pm from Monday to Friday, 8am - 12am on Saturday.
Hotel Drouot Store : 6 bis rue Rossini, 75009, Paris Tel : +33 (0)1 48 00 20 56
All due storage fees, according to the tariffs of Drouot SA, have to be paid at the Hotel Drouot's store before the retrieval of items and on presentation of the paid voucher.
- Sales at Atelier Richelieu : Furniture, paintings and other voluminous objects which have not been retrieved by the buyer on the day following the sales, before 10am, will be stored at the TSE furniture store where they can be collected at the following hours : 9am - 12am / 2pm - 6pm from Monday to Friday.
Furniture store TSE : 36 / 56 rue Louis David, 93170 Bagnolet Tel : +33 (0)1 48 58 36 06 Email : garde - meubles.tse@orange.fr
Storage fees will be taken care of by PBA for a duration of 15 days starting after the date of the sale. Past this period of time, the buyer will be responsible for the fees which will be of 30 euros per m³ per month. Please note that it will be compulsory to inform Pierre Bergé & associés 48h before collecting the acquired items so that Pierre Bergé & associés can authorize the delivery by the furniture store. Retrieval of purchases is done upon appointment and presentation of the paid voucher.

Auction Details

A THOUSAND NIGHTS OF DREAMS - GENEVIÈVE & JEAN-PAUL KAHN COLLECTION III

by
Pierre Bergé & Associés
June 18, 2021, 02:00 PM CET

9, rue Drouot, Paris, Paris Ile de France, 75009, FR

Terms

Live bidding may start higher or lower

Buyer's Premium

€0 - 150,000:33.0%
€150,001 - 500,000:28.8%
€500,001+:24.6%

Bidding Increments

From:To:Increment:
€0€59€10
€60€99€20
€100€119€20
€120€179€30
€180€219€20
€220€279€30
€280€319€20
€320€379€30
€380€399€20
€400€799€50
€800€1,499€100
€1,500€1,799€300
€1,800€2,199€200
€2,200€2,799€300
€2,800€3,199€200
€3,200€3,799€300
€3,800€4,199€200
€4,200€4,799€300
€4,800€4,999€200
€5,000€9,999€500
€10,000€19,999€1,000
€20,000€21,999€2,000
€22,000€27,999€3,000
€28,000€31,999€2,000
€32,000€37,999€3,000
€38,000€39,999€2,000
€40,000€79,999€5,000
€80,000€99,999€5,000
€100,000+€10,000

CONDITIONS OF SALE

The auction will be conducted in euros and payment will be due immediately. In addition to the hammer price, buyers will pay the following fees : up to 150 000 euros, 30% incl. VAT of the hammer price (25% excl. VAT + 20% VAT), above 500 000 euros and up to 500 000 euros, 25,8%
incl. VAT (21.5% excl. VAT + 20% VAT) and above 500 000 euros, 21,6% incl. VAT (18% excl. VAT
+ 20% VAT). This calculation applies to each lot per tranche.

Payment is due immediately after the sale. This rule applies even if the buyer wishes to export the lot and an export license is, or may be, required. Payment must be made by wire transfer and in Euros. As a courtesy we accept payment by Visa, MasterCard as well as Amex (with additional fees of 2.75%). In cash and in Euros up to 1 000 euros (incl. fees and taxes) for French private residents and up to 15 000 euros (incl. fees and taxes) for foreign residents. The auction operating officer is adherent to the Registre Central de prévention des impayés des Commissaires Priseurs (Auctioneers Central Registry to prevent overdue payments) to which payment incidents may be addressed. Rights of access, rectification and opposition on legitimate grounds can be exercised by the debtor involved by addressing to Symey 15 rue Freycinet 75016 Paris.

IMPORTANT NOTICE : Concerning lots sold by foreign resident sellers, buyer will pay a 5.5% VAT in addition to the hammer price (lots marked with ) or 20% (lots marked with ) plus legal fees (VAT may be reclaimed upon proof of export outside the EU within a maximum one month period). In accordance with the provisions of Article 321 - 4 of the Commercial Code, the asterisk ( ) marking some lots indicates that they are owned by an associate of Pierre Bergé & Associates.

RIGHT OF CONTINUATION
Pierre Bergé & associés is legally obliged to collect the sums due under the resale right for the sale of the lots and to return them to the collecting agency or the beneficiary of the right.
The buyer shall be responsible for the payment of the resale charge and shall be invoiced at the same time as the tender price and the costs referred to in the first paragraph.
In the event that PBA becomes aware that a sale is subject to the resale duty only after the lot has been tendered, that duty will be invoiced to the buyer separately.
The selling price used as the basis for collecting the resale duty shall be calculated, excluding taxes, on the hammer price. It is calculated work by work. The applicable rate is:
- 4% for the price range up to 50,000 euros
- 3% for the price range between EUR 50,000.01 and EUR 200,000
- 1% for the price range between EUR 200,000.01 and EUR 350,000
- 0.5% for the price range between EUR 350,000.01 and EUR 500,000
- 0.25% for the part of the price exceeding EUR 500,000.01. The amount of the resale right is capped at 12,500 euros.


WARRANTY
In accordance with the law, the auctioneer is legally responsible for the contents of the catalogue, subject to any adjustment announced during the presentation of the lot and duly noted in the official sale record. Condition reports describing damage, imperfection or restoration are done to facilitate the prospection and shall remain subject to the discretion of personal examination by the buyer or his representative. The absence of such reference in the catalogue does not imply that an object is exempt from any defect or restoration. The pre - sale exhibition allows prospective buyers to inspect property and therefore, no claim will be registered regarding usual restorations and small accidents.


BIDDINGS
The sale will follow the lot numbers according to the catalogue. PBA has discretion to set the increment of the bids and all bidders must comply with this. The highest and final bidder will be the buyer. In case of a double bidding declared by the auctioneer, the lot will be immediately reoffered for sale and all present prospective buyers will be able to bid a second time. At the striking of the hammer, risk and responsibility for the lot passes to the buyer. He is therefore responsible for insuring his lots as soon as the auction is final.


ABSENTEE AND TELEPHONE BIDS
Bidders who cannot attend the auction in person and who are wishing to bid by absentee or telephone bid are required to submit bids on the Absentee Bid Form of which a copy is printed in the last pages of the catalogue. This form must be received at least two days in advance of the sale, with the bidder's bank details. Pierre Bergé & Associates provides telephone bids as a convenience to bidders who cannot attend the auction in person and therefore will not be held responsible if a phone connection problem occurs , under no circumstances Pierre Bergé & Associates employees will be held responsible if an error shall occur in the execution of the telephone bids.



REMOVAL OF PURCHASES
From the moment the hammer falls, sold items will be in the exclusive responsability of the buyer. Transportation and storage will be invalided to the buyer. The buyer will be solely responsible for insurance, and Pierre Bergé & associés assumes no liability for any damage items may incur from the time the hammer falls. All formality procedures, including those concerning exportation as well as transport fall exclusively to the buyer.
- Sales at Richelieu - Drouot : Furniture, paintings and other voluminous objects which have not been retrieved by the buyer on the day following the sales, before 10 am, will be stored in the 3rd basement of the Hotel Drouot where they can be collected at the following hours : 1pm - 5pm from Monday to Friday, 8am - 12am on Saturday.
Hotel Drouot Store : 6 bis rue Rossini, 75009, Paris Tel : +33 (0)1 48 00 20 56
All due storage fees, according to the tariffs of Drouot SA, have to be paid at the Hotel Drouot's store before the retrieval of items and on presentation of the paid voucher.
- Sales at Atelier Richelieu : Furniture, paintings and other voluminous objects which have not been retrieved by the buyer on the day following the sales, before 10am, will be stored at the TSE furniture store where they can be collected at the following hours : 9am - 12am / 2pm - 6pm from Monday to Friday.
Furniture store TSE : 36 / 56 rue Louis David, 93170 Bagnolet Tel : +33 (0)1 48 58 36 06 Email : garde - meubles.tse@orange.fr
Storage fees will be taken care of by PBA for a duration of 15 days starting after the date of the sale. Past this period of time, the buyer will be responsible for the fees which will be of 30 euros per m³ per month. Please note that it will be compulsory to inform Pierre Bergé & associés 48h before collecting the acquired items so that Pierre Bergé & associés can authorize the delivery by the furniture store. Retrieval of purchases is done upon appointment and presentation of the paid voucher.

PRE-EMPTION
In certain cases, the French State may exercise its pre - emptive right on works of art put up for sale, in accordance with the provisions of the Article 37 of the Law of December 31, 1921, amended by section 59 of the Law of July 10, 2000. State then replaces the last bidder. In such cases, the representative of the State must express its intention after the striking of the hammer to the company authorized to organize the public auction or private sale. The pre - emption decision must then be confirmed within fifteen days. Pierre Bergé & Associates will not assume any liability for administrative decisions of pre-emption.

Contract

The auction will be conducted in euros and payment will be due immediately. In addition to the hammer price, buyers will pay the following fees : up to 150 000 euros, 30% incl. VAT of the hammer price (25% excl. VAT + 20% VAT), above 500 000 euros and up to 500 000 euros, 25,8%
incl. VAT (21.5% excl. VAT + 20% VAT) and above 500 000 euros, 21,6% incl. VAT (18% excl. VAT
+ 20% VAT). This calculation applies to each lot per tranche.

Payment is due immediately after the sale. This rule applies even if the buyer wishes to export the lot and an export license is, or may be, required. Payment must be made by wire transfer and in Euros. As a courtesy we accept payment by Visa, MasterCard as well as Amex (with additional fees of 2.75%). In cash and in Euros up to 1 000 euros (incl. fees and taxes) for French private residents and up to 15 000 euros (incl. fees and taxes) for foreign residents. The auction operating officer is adherent to the Registre Central de prévention des impayés des Commissaires Priseurs (Auctioneers Central Registry to prevent overdue payments) to which payment incidents may be addressed. Rights of access, rectification and opposition on legitimate grounds can be exercised by the debtor involved by addressing to Symey 15 rue Freycinet 75016 Paris.

IMPORTANT NOTICE : Concerning lots sold by foreign resident sellers, buyer will pay a 5.5% VAT in addition to the hammer price (lots marked with ) or 20% (lots marked with ) plus legal fees (VAT may be reclaimed upon proof of export outside the EU within a maximum one month period). In accordance with the provisions of Article 321 - 4 of the Commercial Code, the asterisk ( ) marking some lots indicates that they are owned by an associate of Pierre Bergé & Associates.

PREMIUM

In addition to the hammer price, buyers will pay the following fees : up to 150 000 euros, 30% incl. VAT of the hammer price (25% excl. VAT + 20% VAT), above 500 000 euros and up to 500 000 euros, 25,8%
incl. VAT (21.5% excl. VAT + 20% VAT) and above 500 000 euros, 21,6% incl. VAT (18% excl. VAT
+ 20% VAT). This calculation applies to each lot per tranche.


- 3.60% VAT (20% VAT) of the auction price for auctions via INVALUABLE.

Shipping Terms

From the moment the hammer falls, sold items will be in the exclusive responsability of the buyer. Transportation and storage will be invalided to the buyer. The buyer will be solely responsible for insurance, and Pierre Bergé & associés assumes no liability for any damage items may incur from the time the hammer falls. All formality procedures, including those concerning exportation as well as transport fall exclusively to the buyer.
- Sales at Richelieu - Drouot : Furniture, paintings and other voluminous objects which have not been retrieved by the buyer on the day following the sales, before 10 am, will be stored in the 3rd basement of the Hotel Drouot where they can be collected at the following hours : 1pm - 5pm from Monday to Friday, 8am - 12am on Saturday.
Hotel Drouot Store : 6 bis rue Rossini, 75009, Paris Tel : +33 (0)1 48 00 20 56
All due storage fees, according to the tariffs of Drouot SA, have to be paid at the Hotel Drouot's store before the retrieval of items and on presentation of the paid voucher.
- Sales at Atelier Richelieu : Furniture, paintings and other voluminous objects which have not been retrieved by the buyer on the day following the sales, before 10am, will be stored at the TSE furniture store where they can be collected at the following hours : 9am - 12am / 2pm - 6pm from Monday to Friday.
Furniture store TSE : 36 / 56 rue Louis David, 93170 Bagnolet Tel : +33 (0)1 48 58 36 06 Email : garde - meubles.tse@orange.fr
Storage fees will be taken care of by PBA for a duration of 15 days starting after the date of the sale. Past this period of time, the buyer will be responsible for the fees which will be of 30 euros per m³ per month. Please note that it will be compulsory to inform Pierre Bergé & associés 48h before collecting the acquired items so that Pierre Bergé & associés can authorize the delivery by the furniture store. Retrieval of purchases is done upon appointment and presentation of the paid voucher.

Warranty

In accordance with the law, the auctioneer is legally responsible for the contents of the catalogue, subject to any adjustment announced during the presentation of the lot and duly noted in the official sale record. Condition reports describing damage, imperfection or restoration are done to facilitate the prospection and shall remain subject to the discretion of personal examination by the buyer or his representative. The absence of such reference in the catalogue does not imply that an object is exempt from any defect or restoration. The pre - sale exhibition allows prospective buyers to inspect property and therefore, no claim will be registered regarding usual restorations and small accidents.