King Oedipus

Verona: Officina Bodoni, 1968. Manzù, Giacomo. Folio. (96) (iv) pp. From an edition of 114 copies, this is one of 105 on Magnani paper, signed by the artist, Giacomo Manzù, on the colophon page. This copy also bears a contemporary inscription from Manzù on the front endpaper. Illustrated with seven full-page etchings by Manzù. Printed by Martino Mardersteig for the American art publisher, A.E. Racolin. Loose, as issued, in the publisher's binding of green morocco-backed vellum with a relief of the head of Oedipus by Manzù. Martino Mardersteig recounts the "strange pre-history" of this elegant edition: he and A.E. Racolin approached Manzù twice about his illustrating a book for an American audience, and both times the artist rejected the poems under consideration for his illustrations. During the second visit, Mardersteig noticed Manzù's sketches for costumes and decor for Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex, which included "a magnificent metre-high relief of the head of Oedipus." Mardersteig and Manzù reached an agreement on an edition of Sophocles's tragedy, and the magnificent relief became the first etching as well as its cover illustration. This is a very fine copy of one the most elusive Officina Bodoni titles, housed in its original folding case which shows very light bumps to corners. (Mardersteig, 155).