'Pro dva kvadrata. Suprematicheskii skaz v 6ti postroikakh' (About Two Squares: A Suprematist Tale of Two Squares in Six Constructions), 1920 (published in 1922) – El Lissitzky

Lot: 60

El Lissitzky
'Pro dva kvadrata. Suprematicheskii skaz v 6ti postroikakh' (About Two Squares: A Suprematist Tale of Two Squares in Six Constructions), 1920 (published in 1922)

27.8 x 22.5 cm.
Illustrated book with letterpress and offset lithography, six plates in black and red, on cream-colored vellum.
Unknown edition (probably 50 copies, numbered).
Edited by Scythians [Rus. Skify], Berlin 1922, printed by E. Haberland, Leipzig. [First edition].

The children's book "About Two Squares" of Lissitzky tells the story of a red and a black square, which reach the earth from afar. For Lissitzky, these squares symbolized the success of the new Soviet order (the red square) over the old system (the black square). His abstract style was strongly influenced by Kazimir Malevich's Suprematism. However, from 1921 onwards, he increasingly turned to the ideas of Russian Constructivism and endeavored to put the abstract pictorial language of Suprematism at the service of the new social and political goals.

Provenance: Private collection Germany.

>> Literature

Hammer Price: 15,000 €

176B - Schools of Design
03. December 2024 at 5:00 PM CET

Literature:

Cf. Lissitzky-Küppers, Sophie (ed.), El Lissitzky: Maler, Architekt, Typograf, [...], Dresden 1992, no. 80 - 91; MoMA, The Russian Avant-Garde Book, 405, S. 153-155.

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El Lissitzky'Pro dva kvadrata. Suprematicheskii skaz v 6ti postroikakh' (About Two Squares: A Suprematist Tale of Two Squares in Six Constructions), 1920 (published in 1922)

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El Lissitzky
'Pro dva kvadrata. Suprematicheskii skaz v 6ti postroikakh' (About Two Squares: A Suprematist Tale of Two Squares in Six Constructions), 1920 (published in 1922)