PLAYSCRIPT 25 ‘DESIRE CAUGHT BY THE TAIL.’ DEDICATED BY PENROSE WITH UNIQUE EROTIC DRAWING FOR HIS LOVER JOYCE REEVES.

London: Calder and Boyars.1970

22 x 16cm, 64pp. Original semi-stiff pictorial wrappers. First edition thus of this translation into English of Picasso’s drama first published in 1945 in France (soon after the liberation of Paris). The title page carried a full page inscription from Penrose to Joyce Reeves: ‘all to please Joycey with love Roland.’ together with an abstract drawing of a phallus in coloured pencils (with a major stylistic debt to Miro).

Joyce Reeves was Penrose’s secretary and lover. Wrappers a little worn, else a very good copy. An important association copy of this book with an interestingly disguised erotic content.