TITLE: Lysistrata
AUTHOR: Aristophanes
PUBLISHER: Limited Editions Club
PLACE: New York
YEAR: 1934
EDITION: 134/1500
BINDING: Original decorative cream boards with designs by Picasso, along with custom blue cloth slipcase
NO.OFPAGES: 117 including 6 ORIGINAL PICASSO ETCHINGS & 34 in-text LITHOGRAPHS
SIZE WITH SLIPCASE:
Height: 31 cm
Width: 24.5 cm
Depth: 3 cm
6 ORIGINAL PICASSO ETCHINGS & 34 LITHOGRAPHS / VERY RARE ! A NEW VERSION BY GILBERT SELDES. WITH A SPECIAL INTRODUCTION BY MR.SELDES AND ILLUSTRATIONS BY PABLO PICASSO
PICASSO'S RARE 1934 ETCHINGS FOR A ANCIENT GREEK COMEDY
The exceedingly rare Limited Editions Club book illustrated by Picasso and with his original signature. IIlustrated with six original etchings in black by Picasso and thirty four in-text lithographs printed in sanguine after drawings. This is the only American publication with original Picasso etchings, which are "among his most important in the Classicalstyle, " according to The Artist and the Book.
From the colophon: Copy number 134 of this edition of LYSISTRATA Fifteen hundred copies were printed for members of The Limited Editions Club from the etchings and drawings made exclusively forthis edition by Pablo Picasso, who signs this copy: Picasso. This edition has been designed by George Macy and printed, in Caslon types on Rives paper, at The Printing-Office of The Limited Editions Club, Westport, Connecticut: Julian E. Berla, manager; John F. McNamara, pressman; John T. Logan, stoneman.
From the Introduction: THE LYSISTRATA of Aristophnaes is probably the oldest comedy which has a fairly permanent place in the modern theatre. In Lysistrata, Aristophanes has dealt with two themes, war and sexual love, neither of which has been affected by any change in fashion. The exceptional merit of Aristophanes is that he has treated the conjunction of love and war with hard-headed intelligence, with realism.
Picasso's artwork for this book has a classical style far removed from his more abstract and avant-garde work, but appropriate for this work. Picasso has signed the book on the final page, the Colophon page of the book. It is a large hardcover book, with the original patterned covers.Published 83 years ago, this Signed Limited Editions Club book is now exceedingly rare, the rarest of all Limited edition Books, and a key work for any collector of Picasso and his art.
The Limited Editions Club printedthe volume at their own printing shop in Westport, Connecticut. The book was designed by the Club's publisher, George Macy, who had eagerly anticipated the book's production and praised Picasso's hand as "sure and confident, " noting that the beautyof the etchings lay in their simplicity...
According to Wikipedia: In 1929, George Macy founded the Limited Editions Club and began publishing illustrated books in limited numbers (usually 1500 copies) for subscription members. In 1935 Macyfounded the Heritage Club, which together with the Heritage Press, created and distributed more affordable and unlimited reprints of the great books previously published by The Limited Editions Club.