KUPKA (Frantisek).

KUPKA (Frantisek).

The Song of Songs. Illustrated by François Kupka. Paris, L'édition d'art H. Piazza, 1931. In-4 framed red morocco, smooth spine with vertical gilded title, gilded palmette at head and tail and small gilded stars in frame, framed with gilded palmette and small gilded stars on the boards, each with a large original copperplate with illustration and text inserted in the center, gilded head, inner gilded fillet frame, lemon moire lining and endpaper, illustrated covers preserved, in edged slipcase (Esther Founès). The two original copperplates used to illustrate the book are of great technical virtuosity and in perfect condition. Spine very slightly lightened. The illustration consists of a title vignette, 30 large colored bands with ornamental borders for each page of text, and 33 interspersed culs-de-lampe. The French text is followed by the Hebrew text on 22 pp. illustrated with black engraved headbands and borders. Edition of 150 copies; n°22 of the 30 first copies on Japon impérial, including a color suite and a black suite of all the illustrations, as well as a very fine ORIGINAL AQUAREL signed by Franz Kupka. Fascinated by this magnificent biblical text, which he illustrated in several successive editions, Kupka devoted over 20 years to this final publication in 1931. Going against the grain of the abstract trend he had adopted at the time, he draws his inspiration here from the Viennese Secession for his compositions, the drawing of the figures, the abundance of decorative motifs and the choice of chromatic ranges (cf. Kupka, le Cantique des Cantiques, MAHJ, 2005).