Avant-Garde | PY Rare Books

Image for GONCHAROVA & RUBAKIN. Gorod - La Cité. First edition, Miguet binding. Paris, 1920. #2

Goncharova's wide artistic spectrum

GONCHAROVA, Natalia (artist) and Alexander RUBAKIN

Gorod. Stikhi. La Cité [The City. Poems]

£6,250

Goncharova's wide artistic spectrum
GONCHAROVA, Natalia (artist) and Alexander RUBAKIN. Gorod. Stikhi. La Cité. [The City. Poems]
Published/created in: 1920

£6,250

Fine exampe of this great avant-garde production, strikingly illustrated by Goncharova and here housed in a Miguet binding.

Image for VENGROV & TUROVA. Khvoi. First edition, hand-coloured version. Petrograd, 1918. #2

Striking original colours and designs for post-revolutionary children

TUROVA, E[katerina] (artist) and Natan VENGROV

Khvoi [Conifers]

£2,300

Striking original colours and designs for post-revolutionary children
TUROVA, E[katerina] (artist) and Natan VENGROV. Khvoi. [Conifers]
Published/created in: 1918

£2,300

An attractive avant-garde Russian children book, here in the preferred version with original colour, one of only 125 copies.

Image for REMIZOV & TUROVA. Snezhok. First edition, hand-coloured. Petrograd, 1918. #2

Avant-garde children book in post-revolutionary Petrograd

TUROVA, E[katerina] (artist) and Aleksei REMIZOV

Snezhok [Snowball]

£2,500

Avant-garde children book in post-revolutionary Petrograd
TUROVA, E[katerina] (artist) and Aleksei REMIZOV. Snezhok. [Snowball]
Published/created in: [1918]

£2,500

Fine example of this rare, fragile edition of the Russian avant-garde, in the preferred version with original hand-colouring.

Image for KUZMIN & TUROVA. Dvum. First edition, original hand-colour. Petrograd, 1919. #2

The rare hand-coloured tirage de tête

TUROVA, E[katerina] (artist) and Mikhail KUZMIN

Dvum [For Two]

£1,500

The rare hand-coloured tirage de tête
TUROVA, E[katerina] (artist) and Mikhail KUZMIN. Dvum. [For Two]
Published/created in: [1919]

£1,500

First edition, with Turova's striking cover in fine original colour - one of 125 copies only. Kuzmin's only children book.

Image for ANNENKOV. 1/4 deviatago. First edition. Petrograd, 1919. #2

Avant-garde for children - in beautiful condition

ANNENKOV, Iurii (author and artist)

1/4 deviatago [1/4 Past Eight]

£1,950

Avant-garde for children - in beautiful condition
ANNENKOV, Iurii (author and artist). 1/4 deviatago. [1/4 Past Eight]
Published/created in: [1919]

£1,950

Fresh example of this innovative Russian children book, wholly conceived and created by Annenkov. Scarce first edition.

Image for [AVANT-GARDE] Catalogue of Third Exhibition of Paintings, Tbilisi, 1920. #2

More than 400 avant-garde works listed

PIROSMANI, Niko, Kirill ZDANEVICH, Lado GUDIASHVILI and other artists

Me-3e suratebis gamopena, ivnisi-ivlisi 1920 ts. 3-ia vystavka kartin, iiun-iiul 1920 g [Third Exhibition of Paintings, June-July 1920]

£750

More than 400 avant-garde works listed
PIROSMANI, Niko, Kirill ZDANEVICH, Lado GUDIASHVILI and other artists. Me-3e suratebis gamopena, ivnisi-ivlisi 1920 ts. 3-ia vystavka kartin, iiun-iiul 1920 g. [Third Exhibition of Paintings, June-July 1920]
Published/created in: 1920

£750

Bilingual catalogue (Georgian Russian) of the largest exhibition of Georgian and Russian avant-garde artists in Tbilisi, listing almost 50 artists. Extremely rare with only 3 other copies traced.

Image for KHLEBNIKOV & others. Bez Muz [Without Muses]. First edition. Nizhnii-Novgorod, 1918. #2

Avant-garde poetry just after the Revolution

KHLEBNIKOV, Velimir, R. IVNEV, S. SPASSKIY and others

Bez Muz: khudozhestvennoe periodicheskoe izdanie [Without Muses: Literary Magazine]

£850

Avant-garde poetry just after the Revolution
KHLEBNIKOV, Velimir, R. IVNEV, S. SPASSKIY and others. Bez Muz: khudozhestvennoe periodicheskoe izdanie. [Without Muses: Literary Magazine]
Published/created in: [June] 1918

£850

Large-format poetry collection published in Nizhnii-Novgorod and including a first appearance of Khlebnikov, together with many avant-gardist poets. Very rare outside Russia.

Image for VIAZMENSKII, P. Propaganda postcard. 1930s. #2

A great Constructivist postcard by a victim of the Purges

VIAZMENSKII, Lev

Malo vypolnit promfinplan, Nado perevypolnit [The Working-Plan Must Not Only Be Carried Out, but Surpassed].

£500

A great Constructivist postcard by a victim of the Purges
VIAZMENSKII, Lev. Malo vypolnit promfinplan, Nado perevypolnit. [The Working-Plan Must Not Only Be Carried Out, but Surpassed].
Published/created in: [1930s]

£500

Great design for a postcard of typical economic propaganda, by a Communist enthusiast and victim of Stalin.

Image for Burliuk, Exter, Vasilieva, Livshits, Futuristy, inscribed, 1914 #1

Warmly inscribed by Burliuk

BURLIUK, David, Aleksandra EKSTER, Maria VASILIEVA (artists) and Benedict LIVSHITS (author)

Volchie solntse. Kniga stikhov vtoraia [v] "Futuristy" [Sun of wolves. Second book of poetry [in] "Futurists"]

£2,950

Warmly inscribed by Burliuk
BURLIUK, David, Aleksandra EKSTER, Maria VASILIEVA (artists) and Benedict LIVSHITS (author). Volchie solntse. Kniga stikhov vtoraia [v] "Futuristy". [Sun of wolves. Second book of poetry [in] "Futurists"]
Published/created in: 1914

£2,950

First edition of this collection of futurist poetry, inscribed by Burliuk to "the best customer" Lev Grinkrug. A lovely book, finely illustrated with plates by Burliuk and two famous Russian avant-garde female artists: Exter and Vasilieva.

Image for Chagall's first book, first edition of his only children book, 1917 #1

Chagall's first book and a landmark of Yiddish book illustration

CHAGALL, Marc (artist) and Der NISTER [pseud. for Pinchus KAHANOVICH]

A Mayse mit a Hon; Dos Tsigele [A Story About a Rooster [and] The Little Goat]

£22,500

Chagall's first book and a landmark of Yiddish book illustration
CHAGALL, Marc (artist) and Der NISTER [pseud. for Pinchus KAHANOVICH]. A Mayse mit a Hon; Dos Tsigele. [A Story About a Rooster [and] The Little Goat]
Published/created in: 1917

£22,500

Chagall's first illustrated book, his only children book, and a landmark of Yiddish book illustration, published the year of the Russian revolution. Very rare, especially in this very good condition: about 5 other copies known.

Image for N. PUNIN & P. MITURICH. Skaz gramotnykh detiam [Tale for Literate Children]. First edition of this very rare Russian children book; inscribed. Moscow, 1919 #2

Rare and fascinating avant-garde children book - inscribed

PUNIN, Nikolai and P[etr] MITURICH (artist)

Skaz gramotnykh detiam [Tale for Literate Children]

£7,500

Rare and fascinating avant-garde children book - inscribed
PUNIN, Nikolai and P[etr] MITURICH (artist). Skaz gramotnykh detiam. [Tale for Literate Children]
Published/created in: 1919]

£7,500

A book like we love them: with many different interesting aspects, from the beautiful gold illlustrations, and the research principle at their source, to the 'missed propaganga' theme of the tale and the tragic fate of his author, Akhmatova's husband, who here added a fine handwritten inscription to the copy. Just fantastic.

Image for S. IVANOV. Reading propaganda poster. Peterburg, 1920. #2

Reading as a duty

I[VANOV, Sergei] (artist)

Chtenie – odna iz obiazannostei cheloveka [Reading is one of a Person's Duties]

£1,750

Reading as a duty
I[VANOV, Sergei] (artist). Chtenie – odna iz obiazannostei cheloveka. [Reading is one of a Person's Duties]
Published/created in: [1920]

£1,750

Fine copy of this uncommon propaganda poster from the Soviet Union's early days and showing a stack of books which could well be antiquarian ones!

Image for GENKEL & SUETIN. Ford and Fordism. First edition, Leningrad, 1925. #2

Ford's influence in the early USSR

GENKEL, German and Nikolai SUETIN (artist)

Ford i fordizm: vpechatleniia [Ford and Fordism: Impressions]

£1,750

Ford's influence in the early USSR
GENKEL, German and Nikolai SUETIN (artist). Ford i fordizm: vpechatleniia. [Ford and Fordism: Impressions]
Published/created in: 1925

£1,750

Fine cover for one of the great Russian books on the influential American industrialist. Uncommon, and here in a pleasant example.

Image for GONCHAROVA & LARIONOV. L'Art décoratif théâtral moderne. First edition, Paris, 1919. #2

Ballets Russes innovations in large pochoirs

GONTCHAROVA [Natalia GONCHAROVA] and LARIONOW [Mikhail LARIONOV] (artists), and Valentin PARNAKH

L'Art décoratif théâtral moderne

£10,000

Ballets Russes innovations in large pochoirs
GONTCHAROVA [Natalia GONCHAROVA] and LARIONOW [Mikhail LARIONOV] (artists), and Valentin PARNAKH. L'Art décoratif théâtral moderne.
Published/created in: 1919

£10,000

Fine complete copy of the first, limited edition. With beautiful plates by the two Russian avant-garde artists working for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in Paris, some of these illustrations large and strikingly colourful.

Image for TRAUBERG & KHODASEVICH. Akter amerikanskogo kino [Actor of American Cinema]. First edition, Leningrad, 1927. #2

"Through the USA - to the USSR" (p. 10)

TRAUBERG, Il[ia] and V[alentina] KHODASEVICH (artist)

Akter amerikanskogo kino [The Actor in American Cinema]

£750

"Through the USA - to the USSR" (p. 10)
TRAUBERG, Il[ia] and V[alentina] KHODASEVICH (artist). Akter amerikanskogo kino. [The Actor in American Cinema]
Published/created in: 1927

£750

First edition of this scarce, developed study of American cinema in the 1920s. A pleasant copy, in its original photomontage wrappers.

Image for KRUCHENYKH. Stories and Drawings by Children, first edition in the original Russian, St. Petersburg, 1914. #2

Children's spontaneity and the Avant-Garde

KRUCHENYKH, Aleksei

Sobstvenniie razskazy i risunki detei [Actual Stories and Drawings by Children]

£2,350

Children's spontaneity and the Avant-Garde
KRUCHENYKH, Aleksei. Sobstvenniie razskazy i risunki detei. [Actual Stories and Drawings by Children]
Published/created in: 1914

£2,350

Pleasant example of this curious work, gathering children's texts and drawings within the frame of the buoyant Russian avant-garde. A delicate production, fragile, here is fresh internal condition. First edition.

Image for PICASSO, GONCHAROVA, LARIONOV etc. Grand Bal Travesti - Transmental. First edition, Paris, 1923. #2

The complete set

LARIONOV, M[ikhail], Nataliia GONCHAROVA, Ilia ZDANEVICH, [Pablo] PICASSO and others

Grand Bal Travesti / Transmental [Programme, Ticket and Handbill]

£1,950

The complete set
LARIONOV, M[ikhail], Nataliia GONCHAROVA, Ilia ZDANEVICH, [Pablo] PICASSO and others. Grand Bal Travesti / Transmental [Programme, Ticket and Handbill].
Published/created in: 1923

£1,950

Lovely gathering of three 'ephemera' items produced for the first Russian ball of the avant-garde in Paris - an eclectic show with music and dances in newly designed costumes. With Larionov's ticket, Goncharova's handbill and the famous programme with many artistic contributions.

Image for SHKOLVSKII, V. & El LISSITZKY. Zoo. First edition, Berlin, 1923. #2

Berlin's fauna of Russian immigrants

SHKLOVSKII, Viktor and El LISITSKII [LISSITZKY] (artist)

Zoo. Pisma ne o liubvi ili tretia Eloiza [Zoo. Letters Not About Love or the Third Eloise]

£600

Berlin's fauna of Russian immigrants
SHKLOVSKII, Viktor and El LISITSKII [LISSITZKY] (artist). Zoo. Pisma ne o liubvi ili tretia Eloiza. [Zoo. Letters Not About Love or the Third Eloise]
Published/created in: 1923

£600

Cover design by El Lissitzky for this depiction of the Russian emigration in Berlin in the Golden Twenties.

The preferred first edition, rarer than the Russian one published shortly afterwards.

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