Another major player in the 1930’s flagellation market, along with Orties Blanches, were Les Editions Couvre-Feu, followed by Le Jardin d’Eros, distinctly different in that the contents and illustrations were more twisted and aimed at torture and humiliation, unlike the titles issued by Editions Prima, which always seem to have smiling faces , no matter what act of depravity is taking place, the characters in these editions seem to be taking it a bit more seriously.
This title is available for trade against my Paris Olympia Press wants.
A rare fragile and altogether beautiful item, in original covers with exquisite illustrations by Wighead. I scanned the images with some reluctance, because I know they have been scanned before , and they will have to do as they are.
The description below is by Christophe Bier, from the marvellous “Les Éditions du Couvre-Feu”, published by editions Astarte in 2013, where it can be found on page 138
If anyone has a copy of the English edition published as “On Your Knees Slave”, by éditions d’Antin in 1937, please contact me.
I have previously raised the question about the identity of Wighead, and in a recent e-mail communication with Christophe Bier we appear to be in agreement on a possible candidate for the Artist hiding their head behind the wig, I reproduce the text with Christophe’s blessing.
Dear Steve,
I agree with you. Before « Les éditions du Couvre-Feu » was published, I had made this observation; Wighead = Laboccetta. I had spoken about this to Alexandre who also agreed. I had written a complementary paragraph with a note, but unfortunately this was not published in the definitive version. Alexandre had taken my first version of the text and I didn’t notice that !
See below my complete text, but in French. I mention some illustrated books by Laboccetta (Baudelaire and Poe) and explained his women seemed to be the same as the dominatrix from « Sous la croupe féminine ». What I also noticed is the fact that Laboccetta and « Wighead » worked for the same publishers (Gründ and Nilsson).
For me the wonderful « Mademoiselle Cinglade » (Prima) written by André Vergereau and ilustrated by Marilac seemed to be also Wighead.
Take all these informations for your site of course.
C.
My french text (in red: what was forgotten !):
Il dessinait dans les revues de charme du groupe Vidal et son nom apparaît aussi, au cours de la décennie, chez Nilsson, Gründ et Fernand Nathan, illustrant des classiques de la littérature comme Paul et Virginie de Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, Émaux et Camées de Théophile Gautier, Le Songe d’une nuit d’été de Shakespeare. L’artiste est doué, varie les procédés. La délicate finesse de son trait, à l’encre de chine, émerveille les pages d’À genoux esclave. Son travail sur le rendu des corsets et des cuissardes, avec leurs miroitants reflets est prodigieux dansÉpouvantes voluptueuses où la carnation des peaux est proche d’une photographie noir et blanc. Comme Carlo, Wighead a surpassé les textes, matérialisant quelques idées folles (un balancier hérissé de longues pointes d’acier, un fauteuil humain), privilégiant les croupes charnues et choisissant des situations d’humiliation dans lesquelles il prend un soin extrême à opposer l’effroi, la douleur ou l’abattement de la victime à la joie ou l’insouciance des dominants. Sa technique se fond avec celle d’un « autre » illustrateur contemporain : Mario Laboccetta, signant de son patronyme des hors-texte à l’aquarelle pour Gründ et Nilsson (Les Paradis artificielsde Baudelaire, Aventures d’Arthur Gordon Pym d’Edgar Poe, Contes d’Hoffmann, Œuvres choisies de Gérard de Nerval). Par le modelé des épaules, la bouche et les yeux fardés, les femmes des Fleurs du Mal par Laboccetta (éditions Nilsson, 1933, réimpression à la Librairie Gründ en 1939) ressemblent aux dominatrices de Sous la croupe féminine par Wighead. L’énigme Wighead (1) serait-elle donc levée ?
(1) Laboccetta a illustré un classique de la littérature de flagellation, Mademoiselle Cinglade, d’André Vergereau, aux Editions Prima, en prenant le pseudonyme transparent de « Marilac », avec lequel il signe aussi la couverture de L’Amour fouetté de Gaston Vincennes, chez le même éditeur.
I am interested in any other views on this question, I await the delivery of another title, with yet another “hidden artist”, whose images bear some striking similarities to “Wighead”, but as they too use a pseudonym, it may be they turn out to be Laboccetta as well.
Please feel free to join the debate
A Genoux Esclave
Jim Galding. :A Genoux Esclave. Les Editions du Couvre-Feu . 8 Rue de Tracy, Paris, s.d. [1935] In Original paper wraps, 272 pages, with a frontispiece and 14 illustrations hors-texte by Wighead, numbered limited edition of 500 copies. Imprimerie des editions du Couvre-Feu 17 rue Casagnary, Paris.
Cover
Spine
The Illustrations
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See also Links:
J.Van Styk. Épouvantes Voluptueuses
J.Van Styk. L’Infernale Dominatrice. Le
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