Art

72 pp book of b&w photographs (65 in all) taken over two days showing Picasso painting a portrait of his future wife Jacqueline, with a short commentary on some of the photographs, black cloth in d/w, as regards condition see note below, Harry N. Abrams Inc. (New York) 1996

27.9 x 22.3 cm, 720g, ISBN 0 81093 739 5

The author is known primarily as a combat photographer, particularly of the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

This is a somewhat bizarre book – there is no explanation offered why the book was produced as late as 1996 when the portrait was being painted in the summer of 1957.  Also the commentary refers to page numbers, although only 10 of the 72 pages bear numbers, and then only in tiny type in the inner margin.  There is no way of knowing whether the “DDD” under the dedication (see picture below) is printed or signed as if the book were a limited edition – which it seems not to be.

See also below the description from the dustwrapper flap.

At some point in the past the top rear edge of the book has been affected by damp – there is a faint damp stain on the rear paste-down, and the last six leaves or so are slightly crinkled in the top margin.  On the photographs themselves there are no visible marks at all.  The dustwrapper had a 2 cm tear to the front top edge, which has been neatly repaired, and a small dent to the front cover of the dustwrapper which is barely visible on the board underneath.  Otherwise this curiosity of a book is in very good condition.

Needless to say, it is long out of print.