Paris Sep 26 (IANS) First-edition rare texts and drawings from a number of 19th century French literary and artistic geniuses including a melancholic letter from poet Arthur Rimbaud essaying his last weeks will be on sale at a Sotheby s auction here on October 9.
The auction themed around "The Library of R. & B. L." will have "first copies autograph poems and rare drawings" from Arthur Rimbaud Paul Verlaine Stephane Mallarme Edouard Manet Paul Gauguin Gustave Flaubert and Charles Baudelaire.
Along with Sotheby s Parisian auction house Binoche & Giquello will also be involved in the sale of the lots of these ephemera.
On sale would be a tragic testament by Rimbaud in the form of a "moving letter" written to his sister in 1891 when he lost his leg to tumour.
"This crucial letter spells out the last act of the poet s life foreshadowing with sinister precision the final drama that led up to his death " the auction houses said in a joint statement.
Rimbaud included three drawings in his letter: of his wooden leg his two crutches and a model of his artificial leg it added.
Poet Verlaine s "Poeme Saturnien" composed in 1885 and illustrated with pen drawings will also be on sale. In it Verlaine refers to a brawl in an inn in 1885 the auction houses said.
Another piece on sale will be an 1887 100-verse poem by Verlaine in which he relives his "ardent love affair" with his homosexual lover and poet Rimbaud.
The poem embodies the poet s pain who refuses to believe the rumour that the love of his life had died.
Capturing poet Gerard de Nerval s tragic last moments a fragment from the second volume of his work "Aurelia" will also be up for grabs along with a painter s book by Stephane Mallarme and a portrait by Gauguin.

--IANS sj/mag/sed