Niko Pirosmani.

A monograph on the self-taught Georgian 'primitivist' painter Niko Pirosmani (1862-1918) written by avant-garde artist Kirill Zdanevich (1892-1969) shortly after his release from imprisonment and only two years before the resolution of the decades-long conflict with his elder brother, Ilia. The book was published in Tbilisi in 1963, marking a thaw in the artistic life of the USSR and symbolically concluding Kirill's long-standing exploration of Pirosmani's work.

Ilia later met Pirosmani in person, inspiring the trio to actively collect and promote his art through numerous publications and exhibitions. After the Bolsheviks took power, Ilia emigrated to France, while Kirill remained in Georgia. Over time, Kirill was pressured to donate their vast collection of Pirosmani's works to the state museum, igniting a decades-long rift between the brothers.

First edition, 8vo (20.4x13.7 cm); 20 full-page black-and-white ill.; original publisher's illustrated paper covered boards, worn edges, a few leaves detached, otherwise a very good copy.