Salmon, André 1881-1969
SALMON, André 1881-1969
PERSONAL: Born October 4, 1881, in Paris, France; died 1969; married Jeanne Blazy-Escarpette, July 13, 1909 (died, 1949); married October 29, 1953; second wife's name Leo.
CAREER: Poet, art critic, novelist, and journalist. Vers et prose (journal), co-founder. Military service: Served in French infantry during World War I.
AWARDS, HONORS: Grand Prize for Poetry, Academie Française, 1964.
WRITINGS:
Les clés ardentes (poetry; title means "The Burning Keys"), [France], 1905.
Poèmes, Vers et prose (Paris, France), 1905.
Les Féeries (poetry; title means "Enchantments"), Les Soins de vers et prose (Paris, France), 1907.
Le Calumet (poetry), H. Falque (Paris, France), 1910.
La jeune pienture française, Société des Trente (Paris, France), 1912.
(With Guy Dollian) Histoires de boches, Société littéraire de France (Paris, France), 1917.
(With Enzo Manfredini) Quelques dessins de guerre, Renaissance du Livre (Paris, France), 1917.
Le Chass'bi: notes de campagne en Artois en et Argonne in 1915, Perrin (Paris, France), 1917.
Monstres choisis, Nouvelle Revue Française (Paris, France), 1918, reprinted, Gallimard (Paris, France), 1968.
Prikaz (poetry), La Sirène (Paris, France), 1919, reprinted, Debresse (Paris, France), 1956.
Moeurs de la famille Poivre (novel), Kundig (Geneva, Switzerland), 1919.
Le manuscript trouvé dans un chapeau (verse and prose), Société Littéraire de France (Paris, France), 1919, reprinted, Fata Morgana (Montpellier, France), 1983.
(With others) Catalogue des éditions d'art, Kundig (Geneva, Switzerland), 1919.
La jeune sculpture française, Messein (Paris, France), 1919.
(With others) Ballade du pauvre Macchabé mal enterré (poetry), Bernouard (Paris, France), 1919.
(With Yves Blanc) Le long de la route (poetry), La Belle Édition (Paris, France), 1919.
(Author of preface) Émile-Othon Friesz: vingt-six reproductions de peintures et dessins, Nouvelle Revue Française (Paris, France), 1920.
L'art vivant (title means "Living Art"), Crès (Paris, France), 1920.
La négresse du Sacré-Coeur, Nouvelle Revue Française (Paris, France), 1920, reprinted, Gallimard (Paris, France), 1968, translation by Slater Brown published as The Black Venus, Macaulay (New York, NY), 1929.
C'est une bellie fille!: chronique du vingtième siècle, A. Michel (Paris, France), 1920.
Bob et Bobette en ménage (novel), A. Michel (Paris, France), 1920.
La livre et la bouteille (title means "The Book and the Bottle"), C. Bloch (Paris, France), 1920.
Des indépendants au Louvre, L'Europe Nouvelle (Paris, France), 1920.
L'érotisme l'art contemporain, Librarie des Arts Décoratifs (Paris, France), c. 1920.
Coleur du temps, 1920.
L'age de l'humanité, Nouvelle Revue Française (Paris, France), 1921.
L'amant des amazones, La Banderole (Paris, France), 1921.
L'entrepreneau d'illuminations, Nouvelle Revue Française (Paris, France), 1921.
Peindre (poetry), La Sirène (Paris, France), 1921.
La révélation de Seurat, Éditions Sélection (Brussels, Belgium), 1921.
Ventes d'amour (poetry), Bernouard (Paris, France), 1921.
Tendres canailles, Nouvelle Revue Française (Paris, France), 1921.
Propos d'atelier (title means "Studio Talk"), third edition, Crès (Paris, France), 1922.
(With Rene Saunier) Natchalo: Le commencement scenes e la revolution russe (three-act play; produced in Paris, France, 1922), Imprimiteur de l'illustration (Paris, France), 1922.
(With others) Les princesses de Cythère: chronique libertine de l'histoire, J. Fort (Paris, France), 1922.
Cézanne, Stock (Paris, France) 1923.
Archives du club des onze (novel), G. & A. Mornay (Paris, France), 1923.
(Editor) Marcel Schwob, Le livre de Monelle, Stock (Paris, France), 1923. (With René Saunier) Deux hommes, une femme (threeact play), Hébertot (Paris, France), 1923.
John Storrs and Modern Sculpture (in English), Sociètè Anonyme (New York, NY), 1923.
La collection particulière de M. Paul Poret: exposée du 26 avril au 12 mai, Barbazanges (Paris, France), 1923.
(Author of text) André Derain: 26 reproductions de peintures, Nouvelle Revue Française (Paris, France), 1924.
(With Emmanuel Bourcier and Henri Béraud) L'affaire Landru, A. Michel (Paris, France), 1924.
Une orgie à Saint-Pétersbourg, Sagittaire (Paris, France), 1925.
(With Maurice Utrillo) Gouaches d'Utrillo, Quatre Chemins (Paris, France), 1925.
Vielle garnison, F. Paillart (Abbeville, France), 1925.
(With others) Friesz, oeuvres (1901-1927): cinquante reproductions en phototypie, Chroniques du Jour (Paris, France), 1926.
Modigliani, sa vie et son oeuvre, Quatre Chemins (Paris, France), 1926, translation by Dorothy and Randolph Weaver published as Modigliani, a Memoir, Putnam (New York, NY), 1961.
Créances, 1905-1910; Les clés ardentes; Féeries; Le calumet, Nouvelle Revue Française (Paris, France), 1926.
Metamorphoses de la harpe et de la harpiste (poetry), Cahiers Libres (Paris, France), 1926.
Venus dans la balance (poetry) Quatre Chemins (Paris, France), 1926.
(With others) Poèmes, Chroniques du Jour (Paris, France), 1926.
(With Pierre Charbonnier) Les noces exemplaires de Mie Saucée; ou, Les nouvelles métamorphoses deMm. Quasi, Total, Agénor de Jussieu et frère Gavier sous les controle et presidence de l'homme qui bêche, Fanfare de Montparnasse (Paris, France), 1926.
Jacques Lipchitz, L'Art d'aujourd'hui (Paris, France), 1926.
Henri Rousseau dit le douanier, Crès (Paris, France), 1927, translation by Paul Colacicchi published as Henri Rousseau, Oldbourne Press (London, England), 1963.
(With Serge Gladky) Synthèse du costume théatral, Théatre Mondial (Paris, France), 1927.
Léopold Gottlieb, Écrivains Réunis (Paris, France), 1927.
Le drapeau noir, Cité des Livres (Paris, France), 1927.
(With others) Friesz, oeuvres (1901-1927), Chroniques du Jour (Paris, France), 1927.
Tout l'or du monde, Sagittaire (Paris, France), 1927.
Max Jacob: poète, peintre, mystique, et l'homme de qualité, R. Girard (Paris, France) 1927.
(With Albert Besnard) Exposition Albert Besnard: pastels, aquarelles et dessings, gravures, Galerie Marcel Guiot (Paris, France), 1927.
Kisling, Chroniques du Jour (Paris, France), 1928.
Art russe moderne, Laville (Paris, France), 1928.
Carreaux, 1918-1921; Prikaz; L'age de l'humanité; Le livre et la bouteille, Gallimard (Paris, France), 1928.
(With Marc Chagall) Chagall, Chroniques du Jour (Paris, France), 1928.
Donat vainqueur; ou, Les panathénées du le arrondissement, Delpeuch (Paris, France), 1928.
(With Carlos Mérida) Images de Guatemala, Quatre Chemins (Paris, France), 1928.
André Derain, Chroniques du Jour (Paris, France), 1929.
(With Oscar Fabrés) Montparnasse: bars, cafés, dancings, Bonjour (Paris, France), 1929, published as Montparnasse, A. Bonne (Paris, France), 1950.
(With Geo London and Fernand Divoire) Roman d'un crime, Portiques (Paris, France), 1929.
(With others) Maurice Maeterlinck, Figuière (Paris, France), 1929.
(With others) Les sept péchés capitaux, Kra (Paris, France), 1929.
Portraits, Ganymed (Berlin, Germany), 1929.
(With Paul Morand) Marcel Vertès, H. Babou (Paris, France), 1930.
Léopold-Levy, Triangle (Paris, France), 1930.
Saints de glace, NRF (Paris, France), 1930.
(Coauthor of text) Clément Redko, Éditions Ars (Paris, France), 1930.
Voyages au pays des voyantes, Portiques (Paris, France), 1931.
Comme un homme, Figuière (Paris, France), 1931.
Caporal Valentine, Emile-Paul Frères (Paris, France), 1932.
(Coauthor) Raymond Falcou, Histoire de ma vie, M. de Hartoy (Paris, France), 1933.
L'affaire Dreyfus, Emile-Paul Frères (Paris, France), 1934.
Le secret de Barataud, Emile-Paul Frères (Paris, France), 1934.
Troubles en Chine, Debresse (Paris, France), 1935.
(With Francesco Messina) Francesco Messina, Chroniques du Jour (Paris, France), 1936.
(With Raymond Cogniat) Peintres instinctifs: naissance de l'expressionism (catalog), [Paris, France], 1936.
Saint André (poetry), Gallimard (Paris, France), 1936.
Le jour et le nuit, Ilse de Lerins (Sainte-Marguerite de la Mer, France), 1937.
Propos d'atelier, Excelsior (Paris, France), 1938.
Le vagabond de Montparnasse: vie en more du peintre Amadeo Modigliani, [Paris, France], 1939.
Odeur de poésie, R. Laffont (Marseille, France), 1944.
L'air de la butte, Nouvelle France (Paris, France), 1945.
(With Charles Samson) Images du vieus Paris, Heures Claires (Paris, France), 1951.
(With Max Jacob) Histoire du roi Kaboul ler et du Marmiton Gauwain, Amis de Max Jacob (Paris, France), 1951.
(Editor with André Berry) Victor Hugo tel qu'en lui—meme enfin, Tambourinaire (Paris, France), 1952.
Les étoiles dans l'encrier (poetry), Gallimard (Paris, France), 1952.
(With Geneviève Gallibert) Geneviève Gallibert, Arcen-Ciel (Paris, France), 1952.
(With Reinhold Kalnins) Kalnins, Gizard (Paris, France), 1953.
(With Jacob and Leon-Paul Fargue) Vingt-six dessins de Roger Wild, Tambourinaire, 1953.
Stanislas Stückgold, 1868-1933, Les Gémeaux (Paris, France), 1954.
Souvenir sans fin (memoirs; title means "Endless Memories"), Gallimard (Paris, France), 1955-61, Volume 1: Première epoque (1903-1908); Volume 2: Deuxième epoque (1908-1920); Volume 3: Trosième epoque (1920-1940).(With P. Berger) André Salmon, P. Seghers (Paris, France), 1956.
Sylvère; ou, La vie moquée (novel), Gallimard (Paris, France), 1956.
Le Fauvisme, Aimery Somogy (Paris, France), 1956.
Chroniques d'anjou: recueilliés et publiés pour la société de l'histoire de France, Renouard (Paris, France), 1956.
Le vie passionnée de Modigilani, Intercontinentale du livre (Paris, France), 1957, reprinted, Seghers (Paris, France), 1979.
Vocalises, Seghers (Paris, France), 1957.
Originaux, extravagants et visionnaires, Oeuvres Libres (Paris, France), 1957.
Séquences: anthologie permanente de poésie française contemporaine, Jean Grassin (Paris, France), 1958.
La terreur noire: chronique du mouvement libertaire (title means "The Black Terror: Chronicle of the Libertarian Movement"), J. J. Pauvert (Paris, France), 1959, reprinted, 1973.
(With Mikou Bertrand) Fériale, Debresse-poésie (Paris, France), 1960.
Henri Rousseau, A. Somogy (Paris, France), 1962.
(With Claude Venard) Claude Venard, Galerie Romanet (Paris, France), 1962.
Le Monocle a deux coups, J. J. Pauvert (Paris, France), 1968.
Créances, 1905-1910; suivie de Carreaux, 1918-1921, Gallimard (Paris, France), 1968.
Modigliani: le roman de Montparnasse, Presses Selecte (Montréal, Quebec, Canada), 1968.
(With others) Orlando Pelayo, La Ville (Paris, France), 1992.
(With others) Maurice de Vlaminck: suivi de Maurice Utrillo, Mercure de France (Paris, France), 1999.
(With Marilena Pronesti and Pierre Lexert) Les dessins d'un poète: André Salmon, ses copains et les myths d'une génération d'artists, Region Autonome Vallee d'Aoste (Aoste, Italy), 1999.
Also author of Correspondence and (with Albert Acremant) Garçon!—de quoi écire! (play).
Contributor to Elie Lascaux, Galerien Alfred Flechtheim, Berlin (Düsseldorf, Germany), 1930; contributor to periodicals, including L'Intrasigeant.
SIDELIGHTS: An associate of such twentieth-century artists and writers as Pablo Picasso, Max Jacob, and Guillame Apollinaire, André Salmon also made a name for himself as a modernist poet, art critic, and novelist.
A native of Paris, France, Salmon throughout his career divulged little about his personal years save for his three-volume memoirs Souvenirs sans fin. His father was a sculptor turned engraver, and at age sixteen Salmon left with his family for St. Petersburg, Russia, where by 1900 the young man was employed as a clerk in the French consulate. Salmon returned to France to fulfill his military service, which lasted until 1902. "He later dated his 'birth to poetry' from 1903, when he began to frequent the literary circles of La Plume," according to essayist Anthony Levi in Guide to French Literature: 1789 to the Present.
It was amid the artistic milieu created by La Plume that Salmon first began publishing his poetry, inspired as he was by the symbolists France Viele-Griffin, Stuart Merill, and Jean Moreas. As Levi noted, Salmon became close friends with Paul Fort, with whom he founded the review Vers et prose, "and greatly influenced Apollinaire, of whom Max Jacob used frequently to say that Salmon was the true teacher." Salmon's artistic group centered on the young Picasso, and some of Salmon's early poetry reflected the painter's style, characterized by a sense of play in the verses. Like his peers Picasso, Jacob, and composer Igor Stravinsky, Salmon "was keen on popular culture, and he not infrequently incorporated bits of, or allusions to, popular tunes and lyrics in his work," Levi stated.
Salmon married in July 1909; that same year he began publishing art criticism for L'Intrasigeant, where he defended cubism. Eager to earn a steady income, Salmon parlayed his art writing into general journalism, reporting on such events as the Tour de France bicycle race. The travel involved in the newspaper trade inspired at least one poem, "Romancero du voyageur." World War I interrupted Salmon's writing career; he served in the French infantry, an experience Levi explained compelled the writer to "burst into poetic activity, publishing two poems with epic qualities" that were inspired by fall of Russian Czar Nicholas II in 1917: "Prikaz" and "L'Age de humanite." Referring to "Prikaz," Levi noted that the "epic quality" of the poem's sixteen cantos "depends on so complicated a series of cumulative effects achieved in part by switches of register from the colloquial to the solemn, in part through syntactical parallelism, rhythmic variety, sonorous names, and mixtures of prose and poetic effects."
While a original voice, according to Levi, Salmon's tenure as a poet was limited. "Time quickly passed him by," said the essayist. "The cubist painters reacted against the symbolism with which Salmon had started off, and the oppressive Russia of his St. Petersburg days had been forgotten while he was still writing about it." Still, "it would be wrong to dismiss Salmon as a poet," Levi added. "Among the frivolities, witticisms, and pieces of flabby or flagging inspiration, he published some very fine poems indeed."
BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:
BOOKS
Levi, Anthony, Guide to French Literature: 1789 to the Present, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1992.
Salmon, André, Souvenir sans fin, Gallimard (Paris, France), 1955-61, Volume 1: Première epoque (1903-1908); Volume 2: Deuxième epoque (1908-1920); Volume 3: Trosième epoque (1920-1940).
PERIODICALS
Cahiers Bleus, autumn, 1981, "André Salmon 1881-1969."
Nouvelle Revue Française, June, 1969, Jean Foulain, "André Salmon," pp. 1181-1183.*