In 1972 the Paris-based publisher Les Editions de l’Ibis commissioned designer-editor Roger Antic to produce a limited edition boxed set of the six major works of Pierre Louÿs. Of the six volumes, only Les chansons de Bilitis illustrated by Amandine Doré and Poèmes Libres illustrated by Camille Hilaire (which you can see here) have any real originality in their plates, the other four being Aphrodite (Pierre Letellier), Les aventures du Roi Pausole (Raymond Brenot), Psyché (De Guily Joffrin), and Le femme et le pantin (De Grau Sala).

Amandine Doré brings real sensitivity and creativity to these illustrations for Louÿs’ pseudo-Greek lesbian romance, her imagination undimmed by being in her sixties, her drawing skills heightened, and her trademark colourful watercolour highlights used to full advantage.

The Editions de l’Ibis set of Louÿs’ works was issued in a limited edition of 1572 numbered sets.