Zeichnungen zu den beiden 1965 wiederentdeckten Skizzenbüchern 'Codices Madrid' von Leonardo da Vinci
Beuys, Joseph
Stuttgart. Manus Presse. 1975
Joseph Beuys' meditations upon and interpretations of Leonardo da Vinci's Madrid Codices with the additional signed lithograph.
From the edition limited to 1,000 copies, with this one of 900 copies numbered in pencil, each with one of nine lithographs signed and numbered from the edition of 100 by Beuys in pencil; the slipcase is also numbered in pencil as per the book and indicates too the sequence of the lithograph.
The book is presented in the form of a sketchbook and all leaves have perforations at the gutter as issued. The text is presented in German and translated into English by Caroline Tisdall.
'In his sketchbook Beuys picks up a characteristic feature of Leonardo: the apparently random sequence of varying themes, from landscape impressions through specific symbols for forms of energy and the powers of nature, to anatomical studies and the written elements and personally abbreviated notations that accompany the drawings in diagrams and partiturs. For Leonardo hardly ever pursues a theme like the planning of a painting over several consecutive pages. The connecting factor for him is always the formal and compositional unity of a page and its contents ... Relinquishing his usual habit of free choice of dimension and approach, Beuys accepted the restraints of a unified quarto page format established by the Madrid model ... Drawing, then, is for both artists an autonomous visual language, and one which penetrates the consciousness more directly than the world ... In both cases the aim is to establish laws of nature with the help of artistic and scientific analysis and symbols. And admittedly the paths they follow to reach this aim are radically different.' (Götz Adriani translated by Tisdall).
[Schellman 165 - 185].
From the edition limited to 1,000 copies, with this one of 900 copies numbered in pencil, each with one of nine lithographs signed and numbered from the edition of 100 by Beuys in pencil; the slipcase is also numbered in pencil as per the book and indicates too the sequence of the lithograph.
The book is presented in the form of a sketchbook and all leaves have perforations at the gutter as issued. The text is presented in German and translated into English by Caroline Tisdall.
'In his sketchbook Beuys picks up a characteristic feature of Leonardo: the apparently random sequence of varying themes, from landscape impressions through specific symbols for forms of energy and the powers of nature, to anatomical studies and the written elements and personally abbreviated notations that accompany the drawings in diagrams and partiturs. For Leonardo hardly ever pursues a theme like the planning of a painting over several consecutive pages. The connecting factor for him is always the formal and compositional unity of a page and its contents ... Relinquishing his usual habit of free choice of dimension and approach, Beuys accepted the restraints of a unified quarto page format established by the Madrid model ... Drawing, then, is for both artists an autonomous visual language, and one which penetrates the consciousness more directly than the world ... In both cases the aim is to establish laws of nature with the help of artistic and scientific analysis and symbols. And admittedly the paths they follow to reach this aim are radically different.' (Götz Adriani translated by Tisdall).
[Schellman 165 - 185].
[78 leaves]. 8vo. (235 x 172 mm). Leaf with title and quotation from da Vinci in German and English and 81 granolithographs by Joseph Beuys, final (6) leaves with essay by Götz Adriani and quotations from da Vinci, final leaf with justification verso, also included, inserted loose, is a bifolium with an additional lithograph signed by Beuys in pencil; the whole volume is presented in the form of a sketchbook with leaves perforated at gutter as issued. Original publisher's black cloth-backed printed paper boards, white paper label to spine with titles in black, original grey card slipcase.
#48366
