Bidspirit auction | The Dreyfus Affair - Historic

The Dreyfus Affair - Historic Caricature Booklet Summarizing the Turmoil of the Period For and Against Dreyfus. Paris, 1899 - First Edition - L'AFFAIRE DREYFUS & L'IMAGE - The Dreyfus Affair and Images - an early booklet containing a comprehensive collection of 197 caricatures for and against Dreyfus, published in the international press during the height of the Affair, beginning with its outbreak in 1894. An immense variety of caricatures published in the British, Austro-Hungarian, Belgian, Danish, Dutch, Italian, Romanian, Russian, Swiss, and American press. Text and editing by the French journalist, historian, and activist John Grand-Carteret. Published by Le Siècle, Paris, 1899 - first edition. One of the earliest publications to survey the Affair from the perspective of its visual imagery, preceding similar publications on the Dreyfus Affair by several years. The booklet was published as part of an extensive public campaign by the Dreyfusard camp and appeared under the auspices of the pro-Dreyfus French daily newspaper ”Le Siècle” (”The Century”). The inscription at the top of the title page: ”Heureux les peuples qui n'ont pas... d'Affaire” (”Happy are the peoples who have no... 'Affair'”) - reflects the profound social, political, and cultural rift that tore through France during those years between Dreyfus's supporters and opponents. The title page states: ”For Dreyfus - Against Dreyfus”. The booklet brings together 197 illustrations, caricatures, postcards, and visual images from France and around the world (Germany, England, Russia, the United States, and others) depicting the development of the Affair - from the sale of the ”Bordereau” (the forged incriminating document), through the exoneration of the actual spy Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy (who appears in the illustration at the bottom of the title page), to calls for the clearing of Dreyfus's name. It is one of the earliest publications, issued even before the Affair had ended, presenting a broad range of caricatures published throughout Europe from its outset and dealing with Dreyfus himself, his supporters, and his opponents, while emphasizing the satirical-antisemitic aspect of the Affair. Each caricature appearing in the booklet is accompanied by detailed information regarding the context in which it was published in accordance with the development of the Affair, including the illustrator's name, the country in which it was published, and the date of publication. In the Dreyfus Affair, writers, painters, and members of academia emerged for the first time in history as active forces in the social and political arena, taking clear and unequivocal positions for or against Dreyfus. The Affair even created rifts between friends and colleagues, such as the famous rupture between the two important painters Edgar Degas and Camille Pissarro, who had previously been close friends. Among the artists who supported Dreyfus were Claude Monet, Paul Signac, Édouard Vuillard, and Mary Cassatt, while other prominent artists, such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Paul Cézanne, were among his opponents. A unique phenomenon of the Dreyfus Affair was the shifting positions of many illustrators, whose support changed in accordance with changes in their personal views or the positions of their employers. A famous example is the illustrator Pépin, who for years produced anti-Dreyfus illustrations for the right-wing magazine Le Gerlot. In time, after changing his mind and becoming convinced of Dreyfus's innocence, Pépin was forced to leave his position at the magazine and was persecuted for his new stance. The final two pages of the booklet feature images of French and European postcards relating to the Dreyfus Affair, and the editor explains: ”The Affair gave rise to the publication of a great number of postcards in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, and, more recently, France. Let us mention among the most interesting series...” and proceeds to list the important postcard series published in Brussels, Germany, England, and elsewhere. Concurrently with L'AFFAIRE DREYFUS & L'IMAGE, the illustrated booklet Dreyfus Bilderbuch was published in Germany that same year in a similar style. 48 pages. 36 cm. Spine reinforced with pasted paper, as is the lower part of the cover. Good condition.