Eric Chaim Kline, Bookseller - Old and Rare Books

David Melekh Yisraʼel: Shir be-Shahor-Lavan/ David King of Israel: A Song in Black and White/ David Roi D'Isreal [INCLUDING 11 WOODCUT IMAGES]

Hoenich, P.K. [Paul Konrad] (illus.)

Haifa: [Dafus Varhaftig], [1949]. Limited first edition. Loose leave portfolio. 1/500. Folio. Lithographically illustrated b/w paper portfolio, housing 13 loose plates. Published in a limited edition of 500 copies. A suite of 10 loose plates of expressive woodcut prints in black, plus three other printed plates (woodcut title plate, a dedication and a colophon). Each plate measures 13 1/2 x 9 3/4".

A striking and evocative portfolio of plates by the noted Austrian-born Israeli artist and art professor Paul Konrad Hoenich (1907-1997) on the subject of the Israeli War of Independence (aka the Arab-Israeli War of 1948). The subtitle of the work is "A Song in Black and White" and it is dedicated to "our soldiers". The powerful image on the title plate contains the caption "A soldier peers in the night. He is softly singing the song 'David, King of Israel'. The song carries his thoughts back to David and Goliath, from thence to our struggle, to the goal of our struggle. His thoughts turn into pictures, the pictures of this book". Many of the 11 images (10 plates + the front cover) contained in this work visually reference the David and Goliath story, and are thus tied poetically to the theme of the "song" and of "David" of the title and subtitle. Included here are images depicting tanks, artillery, aerial bombardment, and on multiple occasions utilize imagery of David's sling.

Text in Hebrew, with additional titles and list of plates in English and French on the verso of the title plate.

Portfolio with some stains, rubbing, creases and closed tears. Interior of portfolio with some light foxing and reinforced with japan tissue along the spine. Interior cover contains a pencil inscription. Plates throughout age toned, and with some minor to light sporadic water stains and smudges, mostly confined to the margins and edges. Images themselves still vibrant and mostly clean, save for a few light water stains on a few. Portfolio in good+, plates in overall very good- to very good condition overall. Portfolio protected in modern mylar. Scarce. g+ to vg. Item #53097

Hebrew title: דוד מלך ישראל: שיר בשחור לבן
Artist: הניך, פאול קונרד
Publication: חיפה, [דפוס ורהפטיג], תש"ט
Alternate transliteration: David Melech Yisrael

Paul Konrad Hoenich (1907-1997) was an Austrian-born Israeli artist and art professor. Between the years 1925-1928 he studied art in Vienna, Florence and Paris, before emigrating to Palestine in 1935 and settling in Haifa. He is most known early in his career for expressionist works in oil painting and most notably in powerful portfolios of woodcut images, created in the 1930s and 1940s including "The Road of Suffering, A History of the Jews in 13 Woodcuts". Starting in 1950 he taught art and design at Haifa's famous Technion University. Later, he began his noted experiments with new artistic techniques utilizing the rays of the suns. He published numerous writings and books on the subject.

Price: $1,250.00