Джон Хартфилд. Монография (Rodchenko & Telingater's -- John Heartfield. Monograph:1936)
Mockba (Moscow): Государственное издательство изобразительных искусств (Gosudarstvennoe izdatelʹstvo izobrazitelʹnykh iskusst), 1936. First edition. Hardcover. Folio (12 x 9"). 79, [1]pp. Original silver-lettered burgundy cloth, with round-shape photomontage pasted to front cover. Title page in red and black lettering.
This scarce Soviet monograph is entirely dedicated to the art of John Heartfield (1891-1968), a German artist whose anti-Nazi and anti-Fascist photomontages made him a pioneer in the use of art as a political weapon. Heartfield also created book jackets for authors such as Upton Sinclair, as well as stage sets for such noted playwrights as Bertolt Brecht and Erwin Piscator.
Designed by Solomon Telingater (1903-1969), a Soviet graphic artist and a founding member of the October group (a collective of Constructivist artists formed in 1928), the book is lavishly illustrated throughout with numerous b/w, duo-tone and color photographic reproductions, dadaist works, posters, color reproductions of eight Upton Sinclair book jackets and other art. Of course, his political photomontages for the weekly Arbeiter-Illustrierte-Zeitung (AIZ) are well represented, along with art for a variety of publications, among them a cover for the daily "Die Rote Fahne," an elaborate piece for Vereingung Internationaler Verlagsonstalten (a German anti-war publication), art for Der Cicerone (a magazine for artists and art collectors) and covers and interiors from Kurt Tucholsky's book "Deutschland Deutschland über alles."
Includes a tipped in photographic portrait of Heartfield by Alexander Rodchenko, and a tipped-in photomontage showing Lenin leading the way to new housing construction in Moscow.
Scarce paper errata sheet tipped in at rear. Some soiling to front cover. Previous owner's inscription in German "In Erinnerung an den Ostfeldzug (In Memory of the Eastern Campagne)", dated 'Zhitomir, Herbst 1941' on front free endpaper. "Feindspropaganda" (enemy propaganda) in red pencil reproduced on inside of each cover. Ex-library copy, with Russian stamp at inner gutter of title page, at bottom of page 21 and at bottom of last page (not affecting lettering). Text in Russian. Binding in overall good, interior in good to good+ condition. g to g+. Item #42802
"Heartfield himself regarded Tretjakov's study as the best exposition of his work." (John Heartfield AIZ: Arbeiter-Illustrierte Zeitung, Volks Illustrierte 1930-38 by David Evans; Anna Lundgren (ed), New York, 1992, Kent Fine Art, Inc. page 36).
Price: $9,500.00