Les chevaliers de la table ronde: Pièce en trois actes (The Knights of the Roundtable: A play in three acts)
<p>In this retelling of the classic legend of King Arthur, Jean Cocteau reimagined the character of Merlin—traditionally portrayed as a benevolent wizard—as a villain in need of exorcism from demonic forces. Most of Cocteau’s work is in some way autobiographical, and during this time he was struggling with opium addiction. The depiction of Merlin as haunted by disembodied, malicious influences mirrors Cocteau’s battles with substance abuse.</p> <p>Cocteau’s friend Mary Reynolds bound and designed the book. For the covers and endpapers, she chose a pattern of fleur-de-lis, an emblem resembling a lily commonly seen on French shields worn during battle.</p> <p>The play premiered in 1937 at the Théâtre de l'Œuvre, a longtime ally to the avant-garde artists of France. Forty years earlier, the theater had produced Alfred Jarry’s modernist play <em><a href="https://www.artic.edu/artworks/241626/ubu-roi-drame-en-cinq-actes-king-ubu-a-play-in-five-acts">Ubu Roi </a></em>, the manuscript of which Reynolds also bound.</p>
Catalogue
- Year
- 1937
- Dimensions
- H.: 19 cm (7 1/2 in.)
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Artist
- Mary Reynolds
Artist
Textile
Mary Reynolds was an American artist and bookbinder active in Paris during the mid-twentieth century. Working primarily in hand-bound volumes and paper arts, she developed a distinctive practice that merged fine art with the craft tradition of bookbinding. Her work bridged Surrealist circles and the material culture of the book object itself. This profile will be expanded as more verified source material becomes available.
Full artist profile →More
More by Mary Reynolds
Saint Glinglin: précédé d'une nouvelle version de Gueule de Pierre et des Temps mêlés: Roman (Saint Glinglin: Preceded by a New Version of Stone Mouth and Mingled Time)
1949 · Full green morocco binding; horizontal onlay across covers and spine; broken china teacup handle attached by onlay to spine; title stamped in gold on front cover; author stamped in gold on back cover; marbled endpapers; original paper covers bound in
Exercices de style
1947 · Quarter black calfskin binding with marbled paper; calfskin label on cover with title stamped in gold; author stamped in gold on spine; top edge colored; marbled endpapers; original paper covers bound in
Le Diable au corps: Roman
1947 · Chêneuarter vellum binding with green paper; morocco spine label with author and title stamped in gold; decorated endpapers; original paper covers bound in
Le Foyer des artistes
1947 · One-quarter vellum binding, sides covered with red paper speckled with gold stars; original paper covers bound in
Le surmâle: Roman moderne (Superman: A Modern Novel)
1945 · Full black morocco binding with onlay; metal corset stay attached to spine; title stamped in gold on spine; mauve endpapers printed with wire-mesh pattern; original paper covers bound in
Loin de Rueil (Skin of Dreams)
1944 · Full red morocco binding with raised bands; author and title stamped in gold on spine; endpapers of trial proofs for Marcel Duchamp's 1935 cover of Minotaure; original paper covers bound in
Record
Verified by Watts Index- Artist
- Mary Reynolds
- Year
- 1937
- Dimensions
- H.: 19 cm (7 1/2 in.)
- Watts ID
- WW-1937-047784
Source
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Source
- aic
- Reference
- View at source
- Status
- verified