Balthus created Mitsou, a wordless novel of a child’s love for, and loss of, a cat, with a series of uncaptioned ink drawings at the age of 11 in 1921 (some sources say age 10).
Balthus aka Balthasar Klossowski de Rola (1908 – 2001). Cats are a frequent theme in Balthus’ artworks.
Mitsou: Quarante Images Par Balthusz 1921 (Mitsou: Forty Images by Balthusz)
NOTE: David Beronä in a note at the beginning of his book, Wordless Books: The Original Graphic Novels, 2008, made a reference to “anomalies” and cited Mitsou as an anomaly. He did not include it in his list of wordless books but gives no rationale. As it was published in 1921, was wordless, and told a story, I do not view it as an anomaly and have included it here.
Most copies of Mitsou have stained or foxed dust jackets and the DJ often has splits on the bottom of the spine.
- Author and Illustrator: Balthus
- Published by Erlenbach-Zurich and Leipzig, Rotapfel-Verlag, 1921
- Copyright 1921; preface is dated November 1920
- Small quarto.
- Cover is thin card over which a thick paper DJ is folded (top, bottom, and foredge) and glued to the cover at the spine only,
- title on front cover in black.
- 40 Illustrations by Balthus; printed recto
- Preface by Rainer Maria Rilke in French
- Collation: 13 pp., (1 f.), 40 pl.
- 24.5 x 19 cm.
1984 + 1985 Reprints
New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1984. ISBN 0-8109-1320-8. HARRY N. ABRAMS, INC., Hardcover + softcover – with DJ
The reprints recreate the original 1921 publication but with the preface by Rilke translated into English and the French version as an afterword. Blue printed paper boards.