Yves Saint Laurent Illustrations for Children’s Book Up for Auction
THE DEVIL IN PARIS: Parisian auction house Cornette de Saint Cyr is holding an auction on Dec. 19 of 100 drawings by fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.
The pictures, drawn by Saint Laurent between 1961 and 1962, were destined to illustrate a children’s book commissioned by Parisian publisher Jacques Damase, but the project never came through. This is the first time the drawings are being unveiled to the public.
Named “Le Diable à Paris” (“The Devil in Paris”), the book, written by Damase, features a dapper-looking devil, drawn by Saint Laurent, wearing a red suit and little black horns on the cover illustration.
Other drawings see the devil dress up to visit a duchess, sport a leopard-printed suit and even a bull’s head in an illustration titled “Le Diable Espagnol” (“The Spanish Devil”), where he is pictured alongside a flamenco dancer.
Drawn in ink, pastel or graphite in mostly red and black hues, the title character is faced with an array of magical creatures, such as a giraffe in the shape of the Eiffel Tower or a human body with a dragon’s head.
A statement from the auction house explained Damase met Saint Laurent through accessories designer Roger Vivier. At the time of the project, the fashion designer had just presented his first collection at Yves Saint Laurent after departing from Dior in 1960.
Estimated between 200 and 1,500 euros, the drawings will be on view at the auction house from Dec. 14 to 18.
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