Odyssée: I. Le Voyage de Télémaque. II. Les Récits d'Alkinoos. III. La Vengeance d'Ulysse
Erni, Hans. Homer
Lausanne. André Gonin. 1957
Hans Erni's extensive edition of the Odyssey with original drawings.
From the edition limited to 186 numbered copies signed by the artist and editor, with this one of 170 on papier de RIves pur chiffon; 40 hors commerce copies numbered in Roman numerals for the collaborators were also issued.
Erni's original drawings are all found in vol. I:
- an initial blank features a large pencil drawing of a seated female nude seen from behind;
- the title features the pencil drawn vignette of an eye;
- a terminal blank features a large pencil drawing of a bearded male nude standing in the sea;
- the first blank recto of the bifolium that features the colophon and justification features a large pencil drawing of a seated female nude seen from the fore, facing to her left she reclines against a reclining horse;
- the justification featuresthe upper torso of a bearded male figure reaching down to the foot of the leaf: beneath - the figure appears to be reaching for this - is the inverted text from Pliny the Elder 'nulla dies sine linea'.
Pliny's maxim is taken from Natural History XXXV, 84, and was applied to the Greek painter Apelles. It has been understood as suggesting that the achievement of great skill or art requires application, discipline and methodical practice. The maxim was influential and was adopted by Beethoven, Zola and Klee among others.
'La présente édition de 'L'Odyssée' complète en trois volumes a été réalisée avec la collaboration de Jean Graven'. La couverture et les ...lithographies ... oeuvre originale du peintre Hans Erni, ont été dessinés sur peirre par l'artiste et tirées sur les presses d'Hermann Kratz, Arts graphiques, à Zurich, avec le concours d'Emile Matthieu. Les pierres ont été poncées après le tirage. L'emboîtage est de Roger Viehl, à Genève.' (From the colophon).
From the edition limited to 186 numbered copies signed by the artist and editor, with this one of 170 on papier de RIves pur chiffon; 40 hors commerce copies numbered in Roman numerals for the collaborators were also issued.
Erni's original drawings are all found in vol. I:
- an initial blank features a large pencil drawing of a seated female nude seen from behind;
- the title features the pencil drawn vignette of an eye;
- a terminal blank features a large pencil drawing of a bearded male nude standing in the sea;
- the first blank recto of the bifolium that features the colophon and justification features a large pencil drawing of a seated female nude seen from the fore, facing to her left she reclines against a reclining horse;
- the justification featuresthe upper torso of a bearded male figure reaching down to the foot of the leaf: beneath - the figure appears to be reaching for this - is the inverted text from Pliny the Elder 'nulla dies sine linea'.
Pliny's maxim is taken from Natural History XXXV, 84, and was applied to the Greek painter Apelles. It has been understood as suggesting that the achievement of great skill or art requires application, discipline and methodical practice. The maxim was influential and was adopted by Beethoven, Zola and Klee among others.
'La présente édition de 'L'Odyssée' complète en trois volumes a été réalisée avec la collaboration de Jean Graven'. La couverture et les ...lithographies ... oeuvre originale du peintre Hans Erni, ont été dessinés sur peirre par l'artiste et tirées sur les presses d'Hermann Kratz, Arts graphiques, à Zurich, avec le concours d'Emile Matthieu. Les pierres ont été poncées après le tirage. L'emboîtage est de Roger Viehl, à Genève.' (From the colophon).
3 vols. Folio. (400 x 285 mm). Half-title and title to each vol. and 115 original lithographs in colour by Hans Erni (including the wrappers for each vol.) for Homer's text in French, final leaves to each vol. with colophon and justification. Loose as issued in original publisher's printed wrappers with colour lithograph decoration different for each volume, vellum-backed paper-covered board chemises with gilt titles to spines, the paper for the boards matching that for the wrappers but with a different colour scheme, vellum-edged slipcases with matching paper-covered boards.
#48761
