16 black & white plates. [32] pp. Square 4to (200 x 200 mm.), orig. illustrated semi-stiff wrappers (spine sunned & a trifle stained), staple-bound. London: Studio International, 1969.

One of LeWitt’s earliest artist’s books, remarkably well-preserved. This is the artist’s fifth book, but the third standalone publication not originating from an exhibition or periodical. It is now scarce on the market.

“The front cover of Four Basic Kinds of Straight Lines is an exemplary statement of the compositional elements: vertical lines, horizontal lines and the two sets of diagonal lines. The proportions are immaculate. The back cover, in turn, states... More

Black & white illus. 1 large illustrated sheet & 1 folded illustrated sheet forming [3] pp., loose as issued in printed glossy wrappers. Hamburg: Hossmann; Brussels: Yves Gevaert, 1974.

Uncommon artist’s book by Sol LeWitt (1928-2007) published in conjunction with his show at the Palais des beaux-arts in Brussels (May-June 1974). With captions detailing LeWitt’s artworks in parallel English, French, and Dutch.

In excellent condition.

❧ G. Maffei & E. de Donno, Sol LeWitt: Artist’s Books (2009), p. 55.

Sol LeWitt: Libros, El concepto como arte (2014) 26 (pictured pp. 96-99) More

Black & white illus. throughout. [6] leaves, printed on rectos only. Square 4to, pictorial upper wrapper, staple-bound. Bari: Galleria Marilena Bonomo, 1973.

Rare Sol LeWitt exhibition catalogue, published for his 1973 show with Marilena Bonomo that opened on 10 May; WorldCat records just five copies in North America. The book contains reproductions of the artist’s drawings.

Very good copy of a surprisingly scarce LeWitt book; minor vertical crease. With thanks to Hamza Walker who brought our attention to the 1973 Bonomo show and its opening date.

❧ Maffei & De Donno, Sol LeWitt: Artist’s Books (2009), p. 44 (pictured).

Sol... More

Black & white illus. throughout. [44] pp. Small square 4to (150 x 150 mm.), white printed semi-stiff wrappers, title on spine. Rome: Ugo Ferranti, 1982.

Scarce artist’s book by Sol LeWitt (1928-2007), published with the gallerist Ugo Ferranti. LeWitt's first exhibition with the gallery was in 1980, and in 1982, he had a show there called Structures. In this book, hand-drawn diagrams of structures on the versos face photographs of the 20 executed structures designed by LeWitt.

Near fine copy; small blue ink mark to upper wrapper and inoffensive crease to one corner. WorldCat records the following institutions with copies... More

[38] leaves. Oblong 8vo, staple-bound. San Jose: San Jose State University, 1976.

A scarce exhibition catalogue, one of the earliest in America concerning artists’ publications. It is preceded by the famous 1973 Moore College Artists Books show and its resultant catalogue. The present show, held at San Jose State University’s Union Gallery/Student Union, was restricted to artists located in Los Angeles and San Francisco and labels their work “artist-produced books.” Introduction by the director of the gallery Stephen Moore – whose work is included in the show – and an essay by Loeffler entitled “Art as Books – Books as... More

Many illus. in the text. [36] pp. Tall 8vo (, semi-stiff pictorial wrappers, staple-bound. [Paris: 1990].

A rare bookseller’s catalogue describing 201 items, including the publications of Antonin Artaud, Beuys, Christian Boltanski, Robert Filliou, Jean Genet, Keith Haring, Jenny Holzer, LeWitt, Richard Long, Dennis Oppenheim, Daniel Spoerri, Ania Staristsky, Edmond Jabes, Tristan Tzara, etc. For each item, measurements, publication information, printing method, and edition size are provided, and for some there is a concise description of the content.

Fine copy.

❧ A. Desjardin, The Book on Books on Artists Books (2nd ed.: 2013) 459. More

Numerous text illus. 64 unnumbered pages. Tall 8vo (210 x 100 mm.), orig. semi-stiff pictorial wrappers, staple-bound. [Paris: 1991].

An uncommon catalogue featuring a close-up portrait by Robert Barry of Florence Loewy on the covers. The catalogue describes 224 items, including the works of Jean-Michel Alberola, Carl Andre, Seth Siegelaub, Enrico Baj, Baldessari, Robert Barry, Beuys, Boltanski, Broodthaers, Sophie Calle, Christo, Jean Degottex, Hans Haacke, Haring, Jenny Holzer, Barbara Kruger, LeWitt, Long, Nauman, Claes Oldenburg, Richard Prince, Dieter Roth, Edward “Rusha,” James Turrell, Tristan Tzara, Warhol, Lawrence Weiner, Christopher Wool, etc. For each item, measurements, publication information, printing method, and... More

Black & white photographic illus. with text in red on recto, details on verso. Large-format photographic postcard, mailed. Düsseldorf: Konrad Fischer, [1969].

Rare postcard invitation to Richard Long’s second Konrad Fischer exhibition, the first took place the previous September-October. Long (b. 1945) displayed a sculpture composed of pine needles called Sculpture at Konrad Fischer Düsseldorf (1969). A caption for the recto photograph reads: “The River Avon, Bristol: The Pill Ferry crossing at half tide, seen from the Shirehampton side of the river.” S. Richard’s Unconcealed suggests that Giuseppe Panza di Biumo purchased Sculpture at Konrad Fischer… from Gian Enzo Sperone... More

Full-bleed black & white illus. throughout. Unpaginated. Oblong 8vo, printed hardcover. Bern: Kunsthalle Bern, 1977.

Uncommon Richard Long (b. 1945) exhibition catalogue/artist’s book. Near fine; a few marks to the covers. More

1 p.l., ii, 152 pp. 12mo (153 x 100 mm.), cont. pink paste-paper boards (spine sunned), green morocco lettering-piece on spine. Paris: L’Imprimerie des Sciences et Arts, [?1801].

The second printing of this exhibition livret, describing 945 works (the first printing recorded only 944 works). This copy was bound for Auguste Gaspard Louis Desnoyers (1779-1857), premier Graveur du Roi. The present catalogue combines the contents of two great exhibitions, the first of French and Flemish pictures, the other consisting of Italian paintings looted from Lombardy and Bologna. Both were held in the grande Galerie of the Musée central des Arts... More

140 pp. 12mo (150 x 95 mm.), cont. gray wrappers, label in manuscript on spine, stitched as issued. Paris: L. P. Dubray, 1811.

First and only edition of the uncommon catalogue of the two-part exhibition of paintings, drawings, and sculpture held in the Musée Napoléon (the name of the Louvre from 1804 to 1815). The first portion lists 681 drawings, paintings, and sculptures. It included the work of artists such as Albani, del Sarto, Botticelli, Canaletto, the Carracci, da Vinci, Mantegna, Michelangelo, Murillo, Veronese, Raphael, Tintoretto, Vasari, Dürer, van Dyck, A. van Ostade, Joshua Reynolds, Rubens, Bouchardon, Le Brun, Claude... More

2 p.l., 127 pp. 12mo (153 x 100 mm.), cont. pink paste-paper boards, green morocco lettering-piece on spine. Paris: L’Imprimerie des Sciences et Arts, n.d. [but ca. 1802].

The catalogue for a controversial exhibition of antiquities confiscated from Italy. According to the bibliographical research of Jean Joseph Marquet de Vasselot (see below), and Etienne Michon in his “Bibliographie des Catalogues du Musée des Antiques du Louvre” (1914-15), the present livret is a later printing of a catalogue first issued in 1800 at the time of the exhibition’s opening. The present book, like all five preceding printings, is strangely numbered starting... More