Ballet Vie by Mérode Cléo (1 results)

First edition, rare in commerce, presentation copy of the dancer's autobiography, inscribed to one H. Devaux. Mérode was adored as one of the most beautiful public figures in France and her photographic image was one of the first to be distributed worldwide. She reinvented the chignon hairstyle as a hallmark of French fashion, was accused of having an affair with King Léopold II, was sculpted by Alexandre Falguière, Mariano Benlliure, and Alphonse Mucha, and was the subject of innumerable photographers and painters, including Toulouse-Lautrec, Alfredo Müller, and Edgar Degas. In Le Ballet de ma vie, Mérode set straight many of the rumours she had previously encouraged to boost her career. Mérode has inscribed the front free endpaper, "à Monsieur H. Devaux! Avec l'expression de ma sympathie, et toutes mes excuses de ce retard à vous envoyer mon livre de 'Souvenirs' en toute modestie! ("With best wishes and all my apologies for being so late to send you my book of 'memoirs' in all modesty!") Cléo de Mérode, 1er Juin 1959", and on the half-title, "La Musique! La Musique, ma Passion, qui me valut tant de joies pures et profondes, ainsi que la Danse! ("Music! Music, my passion, which brought me so many pure and profound joys, as well as dance!") Cléo de Mérode". Large octavo. With 4 monochrome plates. Original pink and white wrappers, spine lettered in black on white ground, front lettered in white on pink ground, monochrome portrait on front wrapper, untrimmed, partly unopened. Newspaper clipping with photograph of Mérode loosely inserted. Wrappers a touch creased, otherwise notably bright: a near-fine copy.