BELLMER (Hans). ÉLUARD (Paul) Les Jeux de la poupée. Illustrated with texts by Paul Éluard. In-4 (24.4 x 19.3 cm), paperback, filled black cover illustrated with an original cut-out and pastedown photograph, printed pink headband. Edition decorated with 17 original silver bromide gelatin prints hand-coloured with aniline by Hans Bellmer, including 2 cut-out and pasted on the cover and title page, and 15 full-page photographs accompanied by poems by Paul Éluard. Preface by Bellmer, "Notes au sujet de la jointure à boule", translated in collaboration with Georges Hugnet. Edition of 136 copies, this being one of 120 with the fifteen original photographs (no. 17). A founding element of Bellmer's work, the doll was inspired by the character of Olympia in The Tales of Hoffmann, for whom the artist developed a fascination. Bellmer's work aroused the enthusiasm of the Surrealists, particularly Éluard, who in 1938 wrote about a selection of photographs of the doll taken between 1936 and 1937. This approach helped to reverse the traditional relationship between text and images, with Éluard's poems serving to "illustrate" the photographs. This led to the publication of Jeux de la poupée in 1949. The second book on this theme (the first was published in 1934 in a German version under the title Die Puppe), it brings together the erotic impulses and passions of the artist manipulating the doll in provocative positions and deeply disturbing and morbid stagings. A rare copy of one of Hans Bellmer's most striking works. Cover slightly faded, partially soiled, minor restorations to spine. The photographs are in good condition. Bibliography: Parr, Badger, I, p. 106-107. Centre Pompidou, Hans Bellmer. Anatomie du désir, p.100-102. Ji-Yoon Han, "La Poupée de Bellmer : variations éditoriales sur le montage d'une série photographique", Proceedings of the colloquium Photolittérature, littératie visuelle et nouvelles textualités, NYU, Paris, 26 & 27 October 2012, published online : http://phlit.org/press/?p=2159