King Lear by Shakespeare, William; Kokoschka, Oskar (Artist) - 1963

London: Ganymed Original Editions Limited, 1963. Limited Edition. Folio. Fine. Kokoschka, Oskar. No. 265 of 275 (plus four additional lettered copies), Elephant Folio - over 15" tall to 23" tall, signed by artist. King Lear is regarded by many as one of Shakespeare's supreme acheivements, noted for "its probing observations on the nature of human suffering and kinship". George Bernard Shaw opined that "No man will ever write a better tragedy than Lear." (N.B., above info and quotes from Wiki). ***ABOUT THE ARTIST: Oskar Kokoschka (1886 - 1980) was one of the leading exponents of Expressionism. In his early portraits, gesture intensifies the psychological penetration of character; especially powerful among his later works are allegories of the artist's emphatic humanism. His dramas, poems, and prose are significant for their psychological insight and stylistic daring - which perfectly complements the themes of the play. ***DESCRIPTION: Unbound Elephant Folio volume cased in grey cloth clamshell box with blue, grey, and red marbled papers and gilt lettering on the spine (although colophon and prospectus call for all copies to have been issued bound); includes sixteen black-and-white lithographs by Oskar Kokoschka created in 1963, hand set in Fell type and printed at the University Press, Oxford, on handmade Crisbrook paper specially made for this edition by J. Barcham Greene Ltd., the text is based on the "New Shakespeare" published by the Cambridge University Press; 17.75" tall, signed by artist Oskar Kokoschka on limitation page, Limited Edition no. 263 of 275 (plus four additional lettered copies). ***CONDITION: The sheets are in fine condition with some very slight rubbing from the marbled lining onto the first page; clamshell box is in fine condition with some very minor wear along corners and one very tiny (2 mm.) brown spot on the front cover. ***POSTAGE: Due to weight, additional postage will apply; we are happy to ship at cost to both domestic and international customers, please inquire for details. ***Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.