Munich, Orchis, 1923
'A masterpiece in the history of book illustration'. German translation of 'Slovo o Polku Igoreve' [The Tale of Igor's Campaign], an anonymous epic poem written in the Old East Slavic language.
The charming floral and animal motifs seen here are very similar to her illustrations in the medieval text Conte de Tsar Saltan and certainly differ from the bold style of her earlier works with Larionov and Kruchennykh. The floral designs are redolent of peasant embroidery which Goncharova was surrounded by in her childhood. As Bilibin said (who also liked including rich fabrics in his work) there is a certain poetry in Russian textile design.
Limited edition, number 113 of 700 copies; 8vo (27 x 18 cm); 80pp., half-title, illustrated title-page and 35 hand-coloured pochoir illustrations after Goncharova, complete with the genealogical chart at the rear which is often missing, red endpapers, indistinguishable Dutch library stamp to half title with deaccession stamp over the top and another decassesion stamp to ffep; original vellum backed cream boards with hand-coloured lithograph to upper board, upper cover very lightly spotted and small stain, a very good copy.
The charming floral and animal motifs seen here are very similar to her illustrations in the medieval text Conte de Tsar Saltan and certainly differ from the bold style of her earlier works with Larionov and Kruchennykh. The floral designs are redolent of peasant embroidery which Goncharova was surrounded by in her childhood. As Bilibin said (who also liked including rich fabrics in his work) there is a certain poetry in Russian textile design.
Limited edition, number 113 of 700 copies; 8vo (27 x 18 cm); 80pp., half-title, illustrated title-page and 35 hand-coloured pochoir illustrations after Goncharova, complete with the genealogical chart at the rear which is often missing, red endpapers, indistinguishable Dutch library stamp to half title with deaccession stamp over the top and another decassesion stamp to ffep; original vellum backed cream boards with hand-coloured lithograph to upper board, upper cover very lightly spotted and small stain, a very good copy.
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