Philippe Soupault

1897 (Chaville, France) – 1990 (Paris)

Breton, Aragon and Soupault together founded the magazine ‘Littérature’ (the title was meant provocatively). Apollinaire introduced Breton to Soupault, and Breton introduced Soupault to Aragon. Soupault contributed to Richter and Mies van der Rohe’s magazine ‘G’, collaborated with Breton on a work based on automatic writing, sent a poem to and was painted by Delaunay, and played hide and seek with Tzara at an exhibition of Max Ernst’s work. Soupault admired Joyce hugely – they sat together in the front row at the theatre because of Joyce’s near-blindness. Padgett noted that Cendrars (gregarious) and Reverdy (solitary) had served as Soupault’s mentors.