Shortly after the Second World War, as Paris publishers were starting to find heir feet again, Henriette Bellair joined more than a dozen other illustrators in producing drawings for Pierre Louÿs’ ever-popular Les aventures du Roi Pausole, set in the libertine realm of Tryphême where King Pausole rules with the support of his 366 wives and his wayward daughter, the fair Aline.

Bellair’s airy, light-hearted illustrations capture perfectly the wit and imagination of Louÿs’ text, portraying a land of endless sunshine, nakedness and celebration.

The Bellair-illustrated Roi Pausole was published by Les Éditions de la Mappemonde in a limited numbered edition of 1,929 copies.