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Le calumet (Peace Pipe)

A work made of illustrated book with 61 woodcuts.

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  • A work made of illustrated book with 61 woodcuts.

Date:

Paris: Éditions de la Nouvelle Revue Française, 1920

Artist:

André Salmon (French, 1880-1969)
illustrations by André Derain (French, 1880-1954)

About this artwork

Le Calumet (Peace Pipe) is a collection of poetry by Andre Salmon in which each poem is accompanied by a woodcarving by artist Andre Derain. The book encapsulates the interconnectedness of the avant-garde artistic community in 1920s France. Salmon’s poems are image-laden, visceral, and psychologically heavy. Take, for example, the poem entitled “Le Mort” on page 56. The short, melancholy text describes the thoughts of a dead man who feels as if he wasn’t mourned properly. Derain’s prints present similar emotions. A woodcut is made by creates gouging a design into wood with a sharp tool in order to create recesses, which are then inked to produce the final image. By associating this act with Salmon’s poetry, the book defies the binary of picture and text.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Ryerson and Burnham Libraries Special Collections

Artist

André Salmon

Title

Le calumet (Peace Pipe)

Place

France (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1920

Medium

Illustrated book with 61 woodcuts

Dimensions

16.4 × 12.5 × 1 cm (6 1/2 × 4 15/16 × 7/16 in.)

Credit Line

Mary Reynolds Collection, Ryerson & Burnham Libraries

Reference Number

2019.167

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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