This exquisite lithograph by Pierre Alechinsky (born 1927), titled Cartes du Corps (Maps of the Body), originates from the historic 1982 folio Derriere le Miroir, No. 250, Hommage a Aime et Marguerite Maeght (Tribute to Aime and Marguerite Maeght). Published by Maeght Editeur, Paris, under the direction of Aime Maeght, and printed by Imprimerie Moderne du Lion, Paris, this composition exemplifies Alechinsky’s fluid command of line and gesture. In Cartes du Corps (Maps of the Body), Alechinsky transforms organic form into a living map of energy and motion, blending abstraction and figuration through his signature calligraphic vitality.
Executed on velin paper, this lithograph measures 15 x 22 inches (38.1 x 55.9 cm), with centerfold, as issued. As issued, it is unsigned and unnumbered, consistent with the authorized publication format. The edition embodies Alechinsky’s dynamic and poetic vision, uniting spontaneity and control in a composition of expressive harmony.
Artwork Details:
Artist: Pierre Alechinsky (born 1927)
Title: Cartes du Corps (Maps of the Body), from Derriere le Miroir, No. 250, Hommage a Aime et Marguerite Maeght (Tribute to Aime and Marguerite Maeght), 1982
Medium: Lithograph on velin paper
Dimensions: 15 x 22 inches (38.1 x 55.9 cm), with centerfold, as issued
Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued
Date: 1982
Publisher: Maeght Editeur, Paris
Printer: Imprimerie Moderne du Lion, Paris
Catalogue Raisonne Reference: Alechinsky, Pierre, et al., Pierre Alechinsky: The Complete Books: A Reasonable Catalogue, Ceuleers & Van de Velde Booksellers, 2002, illustration 417
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From the 1982 folio Derriere le Miroir, No. 250, published by Maeght Editeur, Paris
Notes:
Excerpted from the folio (translated from French), This special issue of Derriere le Miroir was designed and defined by Aime Maeght in the fall of 1980. He envisioned its publication as a celebration with which artists and writers published since 1946 were to be associated. He also chose Francois Chapon, president of the Reverdy Committee, to write the presentation. This Derriere le Miroir number 250 took the form, after its disappearance on September 5, 1981, of a tribute to Aime Maeght and his wife Marguerite Maeght who died four years earlier. 24 artists agreed to create an original graphic work for this issue which includes the general table of all issues as well as excerpts from texts by 32 writers. Finished printing on June 2, 1982 on the presses of the l'Imprimerie moderne du Lion in Paris. CL examples were printed on velin d'Arches, numbered from I to CL, and some non-commercial examples constituting the original edition.
About the Publication:
Derriere le Miroir (translated as "Behind the Mirror") was an iconic French art periodical published from 1946 to 1982 by Maeght Editeur, one of the most influential art publishers of the 20th century. Founded by Aime Maeght in Paris, the publication was conceived as a visual and literary collaboration between leading modern artists, poets, and critics. Each issue functioned as both an exhibition catalogue and a work of art in itself—featuring original lithographs printed directly from the artists' stones or plates, alongside essays, poems, and critical commentary. Over the course of 36 years, Derriere le Miroir produced more than 250 issues and showcased an extraordinary roster of artists including Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall, Joan Miro, Georges Braque, Alexander Calder, Fernand Leger, Pierre Bonnard, Alberto Giacometti, Eduardo Chillida, Ellsworth Kelly, Francis Bacon, Paul Rebeyrolle, Claude Garache, Antoni Tapies, Bram van Velde, and Pierre Alechinsky. Printed in the ateliers of Mourlot and Arte, the periodical set new standards for quality in color lithography, combining fine art printing with elegant typography and poetic text. Beyond its visual brilliance, Derriere le Miroir also became a cultural chronicle of postwar European modernism. Each issue coincided with exhibitions held at Galerie Maeght, providing a collectible and widely accessible record of groundbreaking shows. Its integration of image, text, and philosophy created a dialogue between art and literature that elevated the modern art book to new aesthetic heights. Today, Derriere le Miroir remains one of the most sought-after and historically significant art publications, prized by collectors and scholars alike for its craftsmanship, influence, and its role in defining the visual language of 20th-century modernism. The Maeght Foundation in Saint-Paul-de-Vence continues to honor this legacy through exhibitions and archival preservation of the series, affirming Derriere le Miroir's enduring place in the history of modern art and fine art publishing.
About the Artist:
Pierre Alechinsky (born 1927) is a Belgian-French painter, printmaker, and draftsman whose vibrant, gestural works and inventive graphic sensibility have secured him a key place in 20th-century art history. A founding member of the CoBrA group, Alechinsky blends calligraphic marks, sweeping brushwork, and surrealist imagery in compositions that trace a line from the early modernists—Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Georges Braque, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray—into a distinctly personal idiom of lyrical abstraction and poetic figuration. His art draws upon folk art, children’s drawings, and Eastern calligraphy, creating powerful hybrid forms that continue to engage collectors and curators globally. Exhibited internationally and represented in major museum collections, Alechinsky’s work bridges European modernism and contemporary expression with bold spontaneity and wit. The highest price ever paid for a Pierre Alechinsky artwork is approximately $1.60 million USD, achieved in 2018 at Christie’s Paris for Mur d’oiseaux.
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