Iurii Pavlovich Annenkov (1889-1974) and Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Blok (1880-1921) - photo 1

Iurii Pavlovich Annenkov (1889-1974) and Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Blok (1880-1921)

Lot 104
30.07.2020 00:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Starting price
£ 24 000
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
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ID 381312
Lot 104 | Iurii Pavlovich Annenkov (1889-1974) and Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Blok (1880-1921)
Estimate value
£ 25 000 – 40 000
ANNENKOV, Iurii Pavlovich (1889-1974, illustrator), and Aleksandr Aleksandrovich BLOK (1880-1921, author). Dvenadtsat. [The Twelve.] St Petersburg: Alkonost, 1918.

Unique copy of the rare first edition, containing an additional original dedicatory drawing by Annenkov portraying Il’ia Ionov, the official who had commissioned the book. Only 300 copies of this publication were printed, this is number 219, initialled by Annenkov in red ink. Dvenadtsat is one of the most important poems in Russian, one of the first artistic responses to the October Revolution, and this first separate edition combining Blok’s text with Annenkov’s art is a masterpiece of book illustration. RBH and ABPC record only two other copies of this edition having sold at auction (both Christie’s), one of which in a modern binding without the wrappers. The dedicatee of this exceptional copy, editor, poet and critic Il'ia Ionov, was president of the publications department of the Petrograd Soviet, and from 1919 to 1923 head of the Petrograd branch of Gosizdat (State Publishing). A keen appreciator of visual arts (he acquired a collection during a trip to Germany with Grigori Zinoviev), as a government officer he strictly adhered to party lines. Maksim Gorky, whose editions of World Literature were closed down by the zealous official, described him as ‘an incurable individualist’. And perhaps this sketch, though undoubtedly a tribute, portraying a self-assured Ionov walking briskly through the city with a shaft of papers under his arm, subtly draws attention to his aloof persona. MoMA, The Russian Avant-Garde Book, 170.

Folio (320 x 245mm). With additional original drawing in black ink on thin paper (210 x 135mm) tipped in and glued at gutter, portraying Ionov and with illustrator’s dedication and monogram (paper lightly foxed). Complete with 15 full-page illustrations and 9 vignettes by Annenkov, all printed on thick laid paper (occasional negligible soiling). Original illustrated wrappers printed in red and black (top half of spine worn with discreet repairs, edges lightly worn, a little dusted). Provenance: Iurii Annenkov (drawing dedicated to:) – Il’ia Ionov (‘To the head of the Petrograd Gosizdat, Ionov, with thanks. I[urii] A[nnenkov]).
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
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09.07.2020 – 30.07.2020
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
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