Mad Love

André Breton, Mad Love, Paris, Gallimard, 1945. Second printing on chestnut paper, numbered copy 204 of 550 copies bound according to the celebrated design by Paul Bonet, master of Art Deco binding. Publisher's illustrated cover with characteristic five-pointed star in orange and blue on cream background dotted with stars. Capital text of Surrealism, written between 1934 and 1936, in which Breton theorizes love as a revolutionary force and analyzes his encounter with Jacqueline Lamba. Handwritten ownership inscription 'TH a Kid / a Milano / 24-2-51' on the front endpaper, testimony to circulation in the postwar Milanese intellectual milieu. Wear to cover from use, interior fresh. A desirable copy for collectors of Surrealism and bibliophiles interested in Bonet bindings.