The publications of Tériade include 26 issues of VERVE, from December 1937 to July 1960, all having the hallmark of great artists of his time.
The entire history of Verve is centered on the convergence of fields that had traditionally remained distinct, at a particularly fascinating—and consequently privileged—moment in time: the end of the Surrealist movement; the height of the great classical writers; the maturity of the new generation of revolutionary authors, such as Bataille, Sartre, and Michaux; and, for some of them, the beginning of a new phase in their careers, as in the case of Malraux. This coincided with an exceptionally fertile period of artistic creativity in the visual arts, represented by figures such as Matisse, Picasso, Braque, Chagall, and many others.
Verve served as the natural meeting place for these creative forces, the realization of one man's persistent vision, shaped by his fascination with all these forms of artistic expression. The documents and works speak for themselves, imposing their own rhythm, while the overall composition of each issue is structured through entirely original contrasts, syntheses, and relationships. This is precisely why Verve cannot be approached from a purely chronological perspective. For practical reasons, however, its issues may be grouped into three distinct categories:
