Christie's: 20TH CENTURY BOOKS AND MANUSCRIPTS: Lot 38
BLOSSFELDT, Karl (1865-1932, photographer) and Karl NIERENDORF. Urformen der Kunst. Photographische Pflanzenbilder. Berlin: Ganymed for Ernst Wasmuth, [1928].
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Text volume: 2o (313 x 242mm). Pp. [I]-[XX]. Original paper-backed printed wrappers (upper wrapper lightly spotted). Plates: 120 photogravure plates by Ganymed after Blossfeldt (313 x 242mm). Loose as issued. (Occasional light spotting, number of plate 120 only partially printed.) Text and plates both contained in the original green cloth portfolio designed by Lucian Zabel, the upper cover lettered in gilt and with gilt design after Blossfeldt, the spine lettered in gilt (a few unobtrusive marks on covers, paper lining a little spotted). Provenance : 'A. Rob, 324' (inscription on upper wrapper of text). FIRST EDITION, PORTFOLIO ISSUE. BLOSSFELDT'S PHOTOGRAPHS ILLUSTRATING PLANTS AS ARCHETYPES OF AESTHETICS. This series of images sought to demonstrate Blossfeldt's thesis that the forms of the natural world provided a language that informed not only the fine, but also the decorative arts, and architecture. Cf. Roosens and Salu 944 (volume issue).
