Histoire D'O

It's fitting that the Surrealist artist Leonor Fini would illustrate a number of luxury editions of Story of O, as she herself influenced part of the story. The owl mask the heroine wears in the final scene was "stolen" by writer Dominique Aury from a costume Fini made to wear to the Bal des Oiseaux given at the Palais Rose in 1948. Writing as Pauline Réage in the preface to Story of O's sequel Retour á Roissy, Aury admitted "Nor did I make up – steal, rather, for which I ask her belated pardon, but the theft was committed out of adoration – the Leonor Fini masks…" Fini's illustrations continue the creative conversation between the two women, inspiring each other in turn.

Published in 1968 by Tchou. First edition, hardback, in very good condition. Gold imitation leather binding with red and black debossed lettering covered in a clear dustcover. Clean interior pages with 12 full colour illustations by Leonor Fini. Text in French.