Raphaël Freida Illus (1 results)
More imagesPublished by Romagnol, Paris 1922
- Softcover
- First Edition
Seller: ERIC CHAIM KLINE, BOOKSELLER (ABAA ILAB), Santa Monica, CA, U.S.A.ERIC CHAIM KLINE, BOOKSELLER (ABAA ILAB)
Contact seller3-star sellerCondition: Used - Near fine
£ 2,738.42
£ 3.80 shippingShips within U.S.A.Quantity: 1 available
Softcover. Condition: near fine. Limited first edition. 1/300. Two volumes, octavo. Vol. 1: 129, [1, blank] pp., frontispiece, 16 three-quarter page colored vignettes (scene divisions), 8 hors texte full page colored plates; 20 woodcut ornaments in red and gray; Vol. 2: 56 plates, loose in illustrated wrappers, as issued, compri…sing: two states each of the the cover illustration, frontispiece, and the 8 full page plates (uncolored; colored with added reproductions of ink drawings -- the illustrator's studies -- appearing in the margin); 16 three-quarter page colored scene divisions, and 20 woodcut ornaments, all printed before letter. Illustrated tan paper wrappers with white and red lettering on the front covers, protected in the original glassine, as issued. Engraved images in the first volume and the first section of the second are protected in their original tissue guards. Housed in a custom decorative lustrous multicolored paper-covered slipcase, with a protective insert for the spines, lettered and embossed in red. Edition limited 301 copies, this being a special unnumbered deluxe copy on japan paper (of which 100 numbered copies are noted at the limitation page); unlike the ordinary numbered copies, the limitation page here notes: "Exemplaire imprimé pour M. Georges Calmann-Levy." A notable limited illustrated edition of Sophocles' classic Greek tragedy, issued with an additional full suite of plates. Vol.1 contains the text of Oedipus Rex ("Oedipe Roi" in French) and a significant portion of Raphaël Freida's original engravings and drawings, integrated directly with the text. This integration is vital, as Freida's artwork is not merely decorative; it serves to amplify the emotional intensity and psychological depth of the tragedy. The quality of the printing and the paper in this volume are of high importance. Volume 2 "États des Planches" (States of the Plates) is dedicated to showcasing the "states of the plates", providing a detailed look at the various stages of the engraving process, allowing the viewer to observe the evolution of Freida's artwork, from initial sketches to finished gorgeous engravings. This volume is of particular interest to those interested in the technical aspects of printmaking. It should be noted that surprisingly Freida's powerful illustrated edition has never been subsequently reissued. Volume one has some closed tearing on the original glassine and wrappers at the head and tail of the spine. A closed tear to the head of the spine itself. Volume with only a few minor instances of tearing to the glassine. Interiors with all images pristine and vibrant. Wrappers and glassines in very good- to very good+, interiors in near fine condition overall. Georges Calmann-Levy was at one time the head of the Calmann-Lévy publishing house in France, the son of it's founder Kalmus "Calmann" Lévy (18191891).
