Friday, September 30, 2011

Toyen's illustrations for L. Frank's Milenci ve snach.

Published by Symposion in 1937. With four full page illustrations by Toyen, my first love when i started collecting czech books. And easy to search on czech websites no diacritical characters and i didn't have to use the difficult czech case system. I love these illustrations (gravure prinitngs) something different than the line-drawings she so often used.






Thursday, September 29, 2011

Adolf Hoffmeister. Collages for J. Verne. Cesta kolem sveta..

And now for one of my favorite books.

Verne, Jules. Cesta kolem sveta za osmdesat dni. Praha, SNKLHU, 1959. (24,5 X 17 cm). 295, (4) pp., with 30 full page (2 repeated) colour collages, several colour head pieces and Illustrated endpapers by A. Hoffmeister. Original cloth with original dust jacket, designed by A. Hoffmeister.

Beautiful collages by Adolf Hoffmeister, the full page ones printed on one side only(no text on the back). Colourfull and inventive.

P.s. if anyone is interested, i do have two copies of this book and i am willing to sell one. The for sale is the one photographed here, dustjacked slightly damaged some tears repaired with acid free tape on the inside.






















For now enjoy the collages.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Klop (The Bedbug) by Mayakovsky, illustrations George Kovenchuk, 1974

The honored artist of Russia Georgy Vasilievich Kovenchuk (Gaga) was born in Leningrad in 1933 in the family of hereditary artists. His grandfather, Nikolay  Ivanovich Kulbin, was one of the leaders of  Russian avangard of the beginning of the century.
Georgy Kovenchuk worked as a poster artist and the book illustrator. The books which he illustrated -  “From the Ilf`s notes” and “The Bug” of Mayakovsky  - were given “The best book of the year” diplomas. The artist cooperated with some theatres. He worked as a scenographer in the warsaw theatre “Stara Prohovnya” in the Mayakovsky`s comedy “The Bug”. In 1988 Kovenchuk has his first exhibitions in french galleries – in the areas of “Videosport” and “Sidr-kalvados eccusson” companies. In 1933 he has an exhibition in the “Area” gallery. From 1998 till 2008 Gaga worked and exhibited in “W” gallery. In 2004 he had an exhibition in Monte Carlo in “Pastor Gismondi” gallery in Princess Grace avenue.
The works of the artist were  exhibited by many Saint-Petersburg galleries.  Gaga is a participant of  Annual Petersburg Festival  “Master Class”.
The works of Georgy Vasilievich Kovenchuk are represented in State Russian Museum, Tretyakovskaya gallery, in the City Museum, in National Public Library and many other collections.




















Monday, September 26, 2011

Leonid Andrejew. De roode lach. Illustrations by Johan Dijkstra.

Altough this book doesn't state a year of publication it was published in 1930 by "De gulden ster" in a series called "de verre kim". Inside the book we find two, three if you count the endpapers, original woodcuts by dutch artist Johan Dijkstra. Dijkstra was a member of thee interbellum art-movement "de Ploeg". The most famous member of this group was H.N. Werkman.