A portrait of Arthur Rimbaud, drawn by his lover, the French poet Paul Verlaine, was sold at auction today for €585,000, significantly exceeding its initial estimate, according to the Drouot Auction House.
The sketch, made with pen and brown ink, is dated “June 1872”, although Verlaine claimed to have drawn the teenage Rimbaud “from memory” at an uncertain date. The portrait depicts 17-year-old Rimbaud in profile, with long hair, wearing a hat, his hands in his pockets, and smoking a pipe. At that time, Rimbaud had broken ties not only with his family but also with Parisian literary circles, who were scandalised by his excesses. Only Verlaine stood by him.
Before the sale, expert Ambroise Oudouin explained that this was the moment when the destinies of the two lovers became intertwined.
In July 1872, the pair fled to Belgium and London. Their tumultuous romance ended a year later when Verlaine, in a drunken and desperate state, shot and slightly wounded Rimbaud.
Historical significance of the sketch
The drawing had remained in private collections, its whereabouts unknown, until it was acquired by Hugues Gall, a former director of the Paris Opera, who passed away in May. The Drouot Auction House believes that one of its early owners was likely Léon Vanier, the publisher who printed Rimbaud’s poems posthumously in 1895.
After an intense bidding war, the sketch was purchased by a private collector to be added to their collection.
Rare images of Rimbaud
To date, only six authentic photographs of Rimbaud have been identified. One was taken in 1866 in his hometown of Charleville, two in Paris in 1871, and three in Harar, Ethiopia, in 1883.
This rare and historically significant sketch sheds new light on the relationship between Rimbaud and Verlaine, two icons of French literature, and their intertwined artistic and personal lives.
Also read: “Magritte”: The first retrospective exhibition in Australia for the Belgian Artist
Source: ANA-MPA
