Monsieur Aa l'Antiphilosophe

Image Not Available

Expand

IIIFView PDF

Images(4)

Image Not Available

Monsieur Aa l'Antiphilosophe

Artist Max Ernst (French, 1891-1976)

Publisher Bordas ([Paris], 1949)

Printer text: G. Girard, Paris; etchings: Roger Lacourrière, [Paris]

Author Tristan Tzara (French (born Romania), 1896-1963)

Date1949

DimensionsSlipcase: H: 6 in. (152 mm); W: 4 13/16 in. (122 mm); Depth: 3 3/8 in. (86 mm).
Book: H: 5 5/8 in. (143 mm); W: 4 9/16 in. (116 mm); Depth: 1 1/8 in. (28 mm).
Page (untrimmed): H: 5 5/8 in. (143 mm); W: 4 5/16 in. (110 mm).

MediumOriginal prints: 8 etchings with aquatint in colors. Text: letterpress. Paper: hand-made Auvergne Richard de Bas cream laid paper, watermarked: RICHARD DE BAS.

ClassificationBooks

Credit LineGift of Molly and Walter Bareiss

Object number

1984.948A

Not on View

Label TextThree of the principal Surrealist artists, Max Ernst, Yves Tanguy, and Joan Miro, each illustrated a volume of Tzara"s three-volume text L"ANTITETE, which is considered a major livre d'artiste of the surrealist movement. The text L'ANTITETE, first published in 1933, contains writtings from 1916, contains writings from 1916, when Tzara helped to found Dada in Zurich, to 1932 when he had become a Surrealist. In designing this special edition, careful consideration was given to designing a book that bibliophiles would appreciate. In the edition of200 copies, 31 contain suites of\etchings, hand-colored by the artists. The tiny page size and the brilliant colors used in the etching give an impression of precious stones, embedded in mosaic-like pages. Instead of heavy paper wrappers or covers, parchment was used. The size, design, and format of this publication is similar to POSIE DE MOTS INCONNUS, also published in 1949, and displayed nearby in this exhibition. (This information was excerpted from "Max Ernst and the Artist's Book by Anne Hyde Greet in the book Max Ernst: BEYOND SURREALISM, page 106.) The Barsiss collection has two sets of L'ANTITETE: one from the deluxe edition with the extra suite of prints; and one from the regular edition. Both sets are displayed here. Max Ernst, Joan Miró, Yves Tanguy L’Antitête: Monsieur Aa l’antiphilosophe. Minuits pour géants. Le désespéranto. (Anti-Head: Mister Aa the Anti-Philosopher. Midnights for Giants. The Hopeless.) Texts by Tristan Tzara (1949) L’Antitête is an anthology of writings by the Romanian-born Surrealist poet Tristan Tzara. Collaboration was part of the Surrealist lifestyle. When the French publisher Bordas commissioned the project, Tzara called on three of his favorite artists to contribute original prints for the three small volumes. Max Ernst made eight color etchings with aquatint for Monsieur Aa l’antiphilosophe, Yves Tanguy printed seven color etchings with aquatint for Minuits pour géants, and Joan Miró created eight etchings with added pochoir color for Le Désespéranto. The delicate books are wrapped in a velum cover and are small enough to be held in the palm of the hand. The edition of 200 copies was printed in a regular and a deluxe version. 23 were printed on the deluxe van Gelder Holland paper. A suite of etchings heightened with watercolor was included with each volume. 169 copies were printed on different paper with no extra etchings. The different papers and the added hand coloring make quite a difference in the final appearance of the prints. In his essay for the collection catalogue, Walter Bareiss goes so far as to say, “The deluxe edition of this last book is so different that it can hardly be recognized as an outgrowth of the regular edition.” Of course, Mr. Bareiss collected both. 214 words FK 10.8Published Referencescf. Garvey, Eleanor M., The Artist & the Book, 1860--1960, Boston, 1961, no. 298.

cf. Johnson, Robert Flynn, Artists' Books in the Modern Era 1870--2000: The Reva and David Logan Collection of Illustrated Books, San Francisco, 2001, nos. 57, 125.

Exhibition HistoryToledo Museum of Art, Splendid Pages: The Molly and Walter Bareiss Collection of Modern Illustrated Books, Feb. 14--May 11, 2003.