One of Guy de Maupassant’s best stories, written in 1881, La Maison Tellier tells of the madame of a small-town brothel in Normandy who receives an invitation to her niece’s confirmation from her brother, who knows nothing of her ‘business’. She decides to take her five girls with her, and her regular patrons are taken aback when they discover the establishment is closed without explanation.

Gaston Barret’s lively and atmospheric illustrations for this mid-sixties edition capture precisely the qualities of the story, and show the artist enjoying to the full the opportunity to display his range of artistic skills.

The Barret-illustrated La Maison Tellier was published by Les Disciples d’Hipp in a boxed limited numbered edition of 410 copies.