The Facts
The Musée d'Orsay has released a document from its archives recording the payment of author's rights (droits d'auteurs) to poet and critic Paul Valéry for his work 'Degas Danse Dessin', paid on 31 January 1938. The document is associated with art dealer Ambroise Vollard, who published the volume. It also references Valéry's earlier monographs on Degas and Mallarmé, both from 1910. The museum is making the document available for download as an XLSX file.
The Signal
The document offers rare insight into the financial arrangements between Vollard, a leading dealer of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art, and Valéry, a prominent poet and critic. It highlights the commercial side of art publishing and the enduring interest in Degas's legacy. For collectors and scholars, it provides a primary source on the economics of early 20th-century art books and the business strategies of dealers like Vollard.
- Artists: Edgar Degas
- People: Ambroise Vollard, Paul Valéry
- Museums: Musée d'Orsay
- Locations: Paris
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