Georges Hugnet's 'La vie amoureuse des Spumifères' Published After 50 Years

After half a century in a drawer, Georges Hugnet's 'La vie amoureuse des Spumifères' has finally been published by Biro et Cohen éditeurs. The book features thirty-four gouache paintings on black-and-white postcards from 1948, depicting fantastical creatures called Spumifères—'foam bearers'—engaging in erotic embraces with nude women. Each Spumifère has a whimsical name like 'la Grouille domestique' or 'le Foulpougne,' and the text describes their amorous habits in a mock-naturalist style. Hugnet, a central yet often overlooked figure in the Surrealist movement, planned to compile the series in 1960 with accompanying notes, but the project was shelved until now. Born in 1906, Hugnet was a poet, filmmaker, publisher, translator, and collage artist who participated in key Surrealist activities, including Man Ray's 1934 'Échiquier surréaliste.' He published his first poetry collection in 1928, illustrated by Picasso, Duchamp, and others, and made the film 'La Perle' in 1929. He also founded the Éditions de la Montagne, translated Gertrude Stein, and played a crucial role in creating Les Éditions de Minuit. During the Occupation, he forged documents. Despite his prolific output—38 books—Hugnet died in 1974 at age 68, and his work has been largely neglected. This publication aims to restore his legacy.